Surge in cannabis imports from the US and Canada 

Last Saturday, Revenue Customs and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau seized 392kg of cannabis herb at Dublin Port. File picture

Ireland is experiencing a significant rise in cannabis importation, with more than 3.5 tonnes of the drug confiscated to date this year.

An Irish Examiner analysis of Garda and Revenue seizure data shows there have been four months this year where, each month, over 500kg of cannabis has been seized. 

That compares to just two months during all of 2025.

Last Saturday, Revenue Customs and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau seized 392kg of cannabis herb at Dublin Port.

Garda sources believe the consignment came from the US and was for the Irish market. It is not clear what gang was behind it, and investigations are continuing.

Gardai believe the increasing amount of cannabis being trafficked into the country reflects a change in trafficking from North America, where organised crime gangs are exploiting legal markets to export large quantities to Europe.

Last June, the EU Drugs Agency (EUDA) said “increasing amounts of herbal cannabis [are being] trafficked into Europe, particularly from Canada and the United States and, to a lesser extent, from Thailand”.

So far in July, some 760kg of cannabis herb has been seized in large operations by Customs and Gardaí, much of it in combined investigations. This figure does not include smaller seizures.

An analysis of 2026 shows:

• 766kg of cannabis herb seized in large operations in May (including one haul of 255kg and another of 210kg);
• 900kg of cannabis herb confiscated in April (including one seizure of 350kg and another of 239kg);
• 554kg of herb seized last January (including one massive haul of 500kg).

This compares to two months in all of 2025 where there were seizures of more than 500kg, including 779kg last November (one seizure of 200kg and another of 250kg) and 739kg in May 2025 (one bumper haul of 500kg).

Customs has also seized major quantities of cannabis herb at Dublin and Shannon airports from passengers coming from Thailand.

“The US is now a primary source country for cannabis to Europe,” a garda source said. “Organised crime has totally infiltrated the US legal cannabis supply system and is exporting it.” 

The EU Drugs Agency said: “Overproduction, lower prices and strong competition in the North American cannabis markets have led to a surplus of cheaper, higher-potency products”.

• Cormac O’Keeffe is Security Correspondent.