According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the quantity of cannabis seized at the U.S. international border is dropping significantly.
Border Report claimed that border agents have found that “seizures of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin are trending substantially lower when compared to 2021, newly released U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows.”
While more generalized data shows a 25% increase in all drug-related seizures, the cannabis numbers have gone down. Border Report states that “Department of Homeland Security agencies in FY2021 seized 160 tons of marijuana, an average of 874 pounds a day. With three months left in the current fiscal year, agents have seized 56 tons, an average of 408 pounds a day.”
Legalization Likely the Key
With more and more U.S. states legalizing recreational cannabis, it makes sense that drug cartels south of the border are shifting focus away from cannabis. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, “In US markets, Mexican marijuana has largely been supplanted by domestic-produced marijuana.”
By decriminalizing cannabis in many U.S. states, the U.S. has also dealt a significant blow to drug cartels that used to supply vast amounts of cannabis to the United States. That’s a win for both the American economy and for keeping shady drug cartels from having control over cannabis sales in the U.S.
