logo
Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Have marijuana seizures at U.S. borders been declining as more states make the substance legal?

By Allegra Taylor
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
YES

The U.S. Border Patrol seized 86% less marijuana from smugglers in 2019 than in 2014, when the substance was first made fully legal in some U.S. states.

Tracking seizures provides indicative data about otherwise hidden flows of illegal drugs. The decline in marijuana seizures began even before calls by then-candidate Trump to build a higher, stronger wall along the Mexican border. Stopping the flow of higher-value drugs such as fetanyl and cocaine remains a priority for law enforcement, and the Administration argues the wall will help. Data on customs seizures suggests most of those drugs, which are easier to conceal, are already smuggled directly through official border crossings. The Cato Institute, in an analysis of the impact of marijuana liberalization, observes that "hard drugs seized at ports of entry were seven times more valuable than those seized between ports of entry."

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Cato Institute: Marijuana and the border wall
Governing: 2019 state marijuana laws
AP: US drug czar says wall will reduce drug smuggling
Customs and Border Protection: Enforcement statistics
Department of Homeland Security: 2017 Congressional testimony of CBP and DHS joint task force official
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.