The legalization of cannabis in Canada has created a new situation in the international drug market, as criminal groups are exploiting the large legal production to send large quantities of cannabis to Europe. Canada legalized the recreational use, sale and cultivation of cannabis in 2018, becoming one of the first countries in the world to regulate the market at a national level.
However, according to European authorities, this has created new opportunities for criminal networks that use Canadian production to supply the illegal market in Europe. According to security data, criminal organizations purchase cannabis from legal producers or mix it with illegal production and then smuggle it through international routes to European countries, writes thetelegraph .
Authorities warn that cannabis originating in Canada is increasingly appearing in seizures in Europe. Criminal groups prefer this source because of the high quality of the product and competitive prices. When Canada legalized cannabis, one of the government’s main goals was to take the trade out of the hands of organized crime and create a state-controlled market.
However, critics say some of the excess production has ended up in illegal international channels. Europe remains one of the world’s largest cannabis markets, and the drug continues to be the continent’s most widely consumed illegal substance. European authorities say the fight against international trafficking has become more complicated due to changes in laws in some producing countries.
Experts emphasize that legalization in Canada has not eliminated the black market, but has created new challenges for export control and preventing the diversion of cannabis from the legal market to criminal networks. /Telegraph