Although marijuana is legal only in some states, and for medicinal purposes in more, pot remains illegal under federal law.
You have to clear a federal checkpoint to fly commercial. The TSA has viewed its job as (T)akes (S)tinkweed (A)way. The Denver airport even instituted an unconstitutional ban on wearing marijuana t-shirts.
Moreover smelling of pot could be reason to confiscate all your savings (if you happen to be carrying it on you when a fed’s nose is working).
Aspen introduced this too and started receiving “marijuana-infused drinks, pipes and edible items like sweets and biscuits.”
So conventional wisdom is that you cannot fly in the U.S. with weed. Colorado Springs airport installed amnesty boxes so that passengers could leave their weed rather than break the law (free pot for airport employees).
There’s a few exceptions though like Portland and Spokane, Washington but only as long as you’re flying intra-state.
Now though LAX has posted an official policy that you can bring pot through security at the airport. (HT: Jennifer Billock)
The most that TSA can do is refer someone with marijuana to local law enforcement, who will not act where there’s no violation of state law.
LAX is one of the most competitive airline markets in the country. This policy is a new kind of mile high club and should give American Airlines a leg up with their ubiquitous chocolate chip cookies.
So join those marijuana buying loyalty programs and leverage their reefer-a-friend bonuses if you’re traveling through Los Angeles.
“You Can Now With Pot”? 🙂
Gary,
DELETE and Re-Post
“You Can Now Legally Fly With Pot”
Nice proofreading.
Stoner pilots here we come.
@Kenny – Gary doesn’t proofread. He’s too busy thought-leadering!
I’ve never had a problem going through LAX security with it in the past, but I guess it’s good to know that there won’t be any issues going forward either.
Are you saying TSA cannot call DEA agent?
@Alex – I make clear that they also involve DEA in asset forfeitures
@Gary
It’s contradicting your sentence “The most that TSA can do is refer someone with marijuana to local law enforcement, who will not act where there’s no violation of state law.”
It’s not “the most” if they can actually call DEA. DEA potentially can arrest the person based on the Federal law.
LAX can post any policies but I think there’s still risk in possessing while in Fed jurisdiction.
Medicinal CBD products, even though derived from the marijuana plant, come in products such as candy, oils, pills, cookies, etc., should not be prohibited. They do not give a high whatsoever as the only effect received from this products is prevent pain in people who consume them, and the effect is less than taking an aspirin or an ibuprofen. This would be unlike THC which gives you a high which is what a lot a people seek.
As if the USA doesn’t already have enough of a drug problem. Who in their right mind is pushing for this? Will LAX also ignore other federal crimes that occur on site such as kidnapping, bank robberies, and credit card fraud?
It isn’t just the individuals assets can be seized. Aircraft used in transport of illicit drugs can have their registration revoked according to the Aviation Drug-Trafficking Control Act of 1984.