Maine Border Patrol Is Determined to Seize All Marijuana

Maine voters may have approved recreational marijuana last November, but that isn’t stopping border patrol agents from seizing it. Medical marijuana has been legal in Maine since 1999, but according to border patrol: even if you have a prescription, and they find marijuana on you or in your car, they’re taking it. According to border patrol, if you don’t want it taken, don’t mention that you have it.

Statistics from the border patrol agency say that, since 2012, almost 720 pounds of marijuana have been seized, but no prosecutions have taken place, according to Maine Public. There are 19 stations patrolled in Maine. The main job of the agents is to keep the border safe and handle situations of human or drug smuggling.

Chief Patrol Agent Daniel Hiebert said, “We are not going out looking for it, but if an agent is helping a driver change a tire along the border and the driver lights up a joint, by law, we must take it.”

Hiebert also said, “Our marching orders are to enforce the law.”

Hiebert warned the public, “Be careful. If you want to keep your marijuana, don’t do anything to get our attention.”

Getting a job as a Maine border patrol agent isn’t easy. They won’t accept anyone that has used marijuana within 2-years nor anyone whose family members work in recreational or medical marijuana businesses – mainly in the cultivation sector.

Hiebert says that Maine is short on border patrol agents due to a “lack of qualified applicants”. The state should have 212, but only has 181.