# International export of cannabis from US states **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853 "2019-04-01T13:44:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/1 "2019-04-01T13:44:52Z")
I hadn’t appreciated just how huge was the potential for [California cannabis production](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/california-cannabis-production-wine-country-1.5072800). It exceeds that for wine. With California producing more than enough cannabis for use within the state itself, and interstate trade of cannabis nixed by the federal government ([discussed earlier](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=865182)), California farmers might well be interested in exporting their product internationally. Since international trade is controlled federally, is the export of cannabis (whether or not destined for medical use) something that this, or any administration would allow? Is it even up to ‘an’ administration, or would it have to be through congress? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/2 "2019-04-01T13:58:01Z")
Well, I don’t know about the US, but here in Canada, where we legalized MJ last year, the government has put a lot of effort in telling people that despite it being legal, it’s still illegal to transport weed across an international boundary. Signs in the airports and everything. So I expect commercial exportation would still be a problem for the foreseeable future. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/3 "2019-04-01T23:43:14Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Well, I don’t know about the US, but here in Canada, where we legalized MJ last year, the government has put a lot of effort in telling people that despite it being legal, it’s still illegal to transport weed across an international boundary. Signs in the airports and everything. > > So I expect commercial exportation would still be a problem for the foreseeable future. Like most other agricultural products nations set out to protect the small family farm from the evil international mega corp farmers that do who knows what to their product in order to cut costs. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/4 "2019-04-02T02:42:19Z")
[Moderating] **PoppaSan** , I’m not sure if you meant that sincerely or sarcastically, but either way, it looks like political commentary of a sort which isn’t appropriate for GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/5 "2019-04-02T03:13:21Z")
The Feds have said that they’re not going to prosecute anybody for cannabis in states where it’s legal because they don’t want to interfere with state-level laws. I’d think they might have a bit of a problem with international export… ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/6 "2019-04-02T04:53:28Z")
Anecdotally, I know that a pretty fair amount of Oregon weed is making its way down to Mexico because the cartels have discovered that our product kicks their product’s ass and even the busiest cartel boss likes to unwind with a little good mota at the end of a long day. I guess they just flipped the old smuggling routes around to bring weed down through Texas and over the border. Lotta Oregon weed stays in Texas too. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/7 "2019-04-02T18:49:38Z")
There are only a handful of countries where marijuana is legal, so they would be pretty limited in where they could export it. But California historically has grown approximately 75% of the country’s cut flowers & that trend is changing. Many CA flower farms are switching to MJ because it is 10x more profitable than flowers. Exporting it would be a boom to the state’s economy, so I hope they find a way. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/8 "2019-04-02T19:43:00Z")
Cannabis needs less water than cut flower production too, which is a big help in perennially dry California. Oregon has the water and actually already has more land under greenhouse than any other state (well, that was the case some years ago and it’s gotten more prevalent since then) and is poised to outstrip California in cannabis production if we could ever get that pesky interstate commerce issue out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/9 "2019-04-02T21:35:26Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > There are only a handful of countries where marijuana is legal, so they would be pretty limited in where they could export it. But California historically has grown approximately 75% of the country’s cut flowers & that trend is changing. Many CA flower farms are switching to MJ because it is 10x more profitable than flowers. > > Exporting it would be a boom to the state’s economy, so I hope they find a way. I know the Canadian marker is small, but there _is_ a shortage here. So much of a shortage that in Toronto with its three million people, there is only enough dope to keep one store open. ONE. So, there is an opportunity for other sources to become players. On the other hand I have to admit I don’t know the legalities from this side of the border. There could even be tariffs. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/10 "2019-04-03T09:49:08Z")
Export from Aus is legal 🙂 If you have a permit ☹ Aus has a substantial legal narcotics export trade. This aspect is controlled by the “prohibited exports” law, which I assume was enacted partly in response to American pressure, because the international control of opiates was all enacted partly in response to American pressure. So I assume that any country that cared about American trade, aid , or sanctions 50 -60 years ago has similar legislation. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/11 "2019-04-03T14:15:22Z")
I have heard some people say that the coveted CA weed is coming this way across the border. So, apparently it is being exported from CA. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-export-of-cannabis-from-us-states/831853/12 "2019-04-03T14:23:18Z")
Coveted marijuana products of all kinds (flower, carts, edibles, etc) from CA are certainly saturating the black market within the US itself.