Can you take weed across the border from Vancouver?

The Cannabis Act bans exporting cannabis, and it also bans carrying cannabis for the purpose of exporting it. The most serious cases carry up to 14 years in prison. Canada Border Services Agency warns that you can face criminal charges for trying to leave the country with any amount.

US Customs and Border Protection treats marijuana as illegal under federal law, and federal law governs every border crossing. Crossing with it can lead to seizure, fines, arrest and a finding that you're not admissible to the United States.

Washington's legal cannabis market doesn't change this. CBP has said its enforcement at the Blaine crossings stays the same regardless of state law. A medical cannabis card doesn't help either.

Every vehicle heading south on Highway 99 or Highway 15 crosses under federal rules. Before you leave, check the car for anything left behind: a vape pen in the cup holder, gummies in a backpack, a pre-roll in a jacket pocket. Check a rental car too, even if the cannabis wouldn't be yours.

Since June 2026, Amtrak Cascades passengers clear US customs at Pacific Central Station in Vancouver, before they board. That preclearance area applies US rules, so any cannabis has to be gone before you walk into it.

Buses from Vancouver stop at the land border, and passengers take their bags through US inspection. The same rules apply as in a car.

US-bound flights from Vancouver International Airport also clear US customs before departure. Our guide to flying with cannabis from YVR covers domestic flights, where you can carry up to 30 grams, and international ones, where you can't carry any.

A US border officer can ask whether you've ever used cannabis. Under US law, admitting use can make someone who isn't a US citizen inadmissible, even when the use was legal where it happened. Lying to a border officer causes bigger problems, so don't. If you're worried about a trip, speak to a US immigration lawyer before you travel.

According to CBP, Canadians who work in the legal cannabis industry are generally admissible when they visit the US for reasons unrelated to cannabis. A trip connected to the industry can lead to a refusal.

No. In April 2026 the US Justice Department moved FDA-approved marijuana drugs and state-licensed medical marijuana products to Schedule III. Recreational cannabis, including anything bought in Canada, stays in Schedule I. Even a Schedule III drug is still a controlled substance at the border.

Buy for the length of your stay, not for the trip home. If you have some left, finish it before you leave, or give it to an adult friend in Canada: adults 19 and over can share up to 30 grams with each other. Never mail it across the border.

Coastal Green Main Street, at 208 E 16th Ave, is about a 13-minute walk south of Main St–Science World Station, beside Pacific Central Station. Coastal Green Dunsmuir sits two minutes from Granville SkyTrain Station downtown. Both open 9AM to 11PM daily. See both on our Vancouver dispensary page, and read our guide for tourists buying cannabis in Vancouver for ID and purchase limits.