Marijuana seizures at the U.S. border jumped in the year after Canada legalized recreational cannabis.

Figures provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) show American officers seized 2,214 kg of marijuana from travellers entering the U.S. between Nov. 1, 2018 and Oct. 31, 2019, up from just 1,259 kg over the same period a year earlier.

That's an increase in volume of about 75 per cent.

The upswing was less significant in terms of the number of individual seizures recorded: 3,917 in the year after legalization, compared to 3,139 incidents the year before.

CPB spokesman Kris Grogan said he sees the increase as more of an "uptick" than a drastic spike.

Two years ago, Canadian cannabis companies were racing to scoop up international assets, from swaths of fertile land in southern Africa to cultivation licences in Jamaica and everything in between.

Now, with fears of a cash crunch looming over the industry, some of the same producers who spent tens of millions to build an international presence have started dialling back, putting projects on hold or divesting of their foreign operations altogether.

And it’s a trend that some pot analysts expect will only intensify over the next 12 months.

Three people and a trio of companies face charges in connection with the alleged operation of an illicit cannabis manufacture and online distribution network.

They’re the first charges laid against illegal online cannabis operators in Calgary since recreational legalization took effect in October 2018 and are being welcomed by those in the legal industry.

Calgary police say they were called to an apartment suite in the 1200 block of 17th Avenue S.W. in the early morning hours of Aug. 24, 2019, for reports of a break and enter.

Police say they located an illegal cannabis operation inside the apartment, but the renters or owners were not there, nor were they believed to be living at that location.

The next wave of cannabis retailers in Ontario will soon be felt across the province, with dozens of the 42 approved applicants completing the required 15-day public notice period and poised to open their doors in the coming months.

As reported in 2019, Ontario will soon start authorizing 20 new stores a month, meaning there could be close to 250 stores up and running by the end of next year.

The real challenge to reduce crime associated with marijuana is federal legalization and more aggressive law enforcement to eliminate the black market, which flourishes in part because of high taxes on legalized marijuana products.

Marijuana advocates like to say that legalization generally means a decrease in crime wherever it is legalized. But that assertion is difficult to prove.

One study found that while marijuana use can increase the likelihood of violent and property crimes, marijuana use may also diminish a user’s violent tendencies.

If you are a Canadian cannabis user, you may have noticed rather plain packaging and not much public advertising for the newly legal drug.

This is no mistake, but intentionally done by the Canadian government in order to prevent cannabis from appealing to those younger than the legal age.

Canada’s cannabis marketing laws are fairly strict — they don’t allow any public portrayal of cannabis related to a lifestyle that can be considered exciting or glamourous, any use of mascots or a public figure, or for companies to use more than one brand element.

The penalty for breaking cannabis advertising laws could be a fine of up to $1 million, depending on the severity of the violation.

The first 15 months of cannabis legalization has certainly had its share of ups and downs for the burgeoning new industry. Alberta has taken a far more sensible approach to regulation than some other provinces, but that hasn’t meant that the industry here has been spared from this tumult.

There is some reason for optimism as we embark upon a new year. Some of the issues that had been plaguing the industry — product shortages and a moratorium on new retail licences, for example — have largely been sorted out and edible products, which became legal nearly three months ago, will soon start hitting store shelves.

It may no longer be expensive to go the legal route. Ontario Cannabis Store (OSC) has finally decided to reduce the price of 50 different marijuana products. The retail company said during a press conference on Friday, January 3, 2020, that it now has a gram of weed available for $5.

The OSC is selling their “Original Stash” strand for this price. “A medium THC potency Indica that delivers a fruity, earthy profile. Naturally, sun-grown in hybrid greenhouses,” a description of the product reads.

The arrival of legal cannabis edibles, vapes and other products in Ontario won't necessarily meet the government's stated goal of cutting into the black market, according to industry observers.

The Ontario Cannabis Store, the province's pot distributor, has announced that a raft of new products is slated to start appearing in brick-and-mortar retailers on Monday and be available for online purchase 10 days later.

But those keeping an eye on Canada's burgeoning cannabis industry said a combination of federal health regulations and Ontario's own track record around product prices may fail to make the legal wares as enticing as alternatives still readily available through illicit channels.