Canadians travelling to or through U.S. should pay close attention to their withering rights: Latest changes to Preclearance Agreement give U.S. officials dangerously extended power on Canadian soil

It's crazy to think how much has changed since 9/11. I remember living in a border town as a kid and going to the US for milk and gas, at least a couple times per week. In those days you didn't even need ID. You'd just say you were Canadian, coming to shop. Now you need a passport, and you can expect there's a chance you'll be pulled aside and grilled for an hour because you reposted a Trump meme on twitter.

I'm banned for life from the US because I admitted to smoking a joint in Oregon - a joint I legally bought from a store. I was a part of a group that bought an old schoolbus, we were renovating it and planning to drive it to South America. I came back to Canada to grab a few things, but on my way back they detained me, put me in a small metal room with bright lights, and interrogated me for four hours until I cracked and admitted I had smoked weed when I was in the US.

They said it'll cost $800USD to file an appeal, appeals are almost always denied, and it'll cost $800 each time I try. If I get one, it'll only be good for 6 months. I'm pretty content to never go there again in my life, but it's crazy to think I used to go there several times a week to buy milk.