Traveling With Weed In 2018
Traveling through most major airports nowadays is pretty much a hassle for folks that aren’t lucky enough to own a private jet. From the long lines, constant delays, and getting through security, most people have enough to deal with without having to worry about getting picked up by law enforcement while trying to to bring their greenery along with them. Even though legalization has spread to many states like California, Colorado, and Oregon, it is still very much an illegal substance at a federal level which is the cause of frustration among many, whether they use marijuana medicinally or for recreational purposes.
While the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, is mainly focused on preventing potential acts of terrorism, they will still have you arrested if you happen to get caught trying to bring weed onto a plane if they can. However there are some brave enthusiasts that are looking to bring along their weed on their trips who have shared some helpful information that you should know before you consider flying with cannabis and related products.
Even though the TSA may not in fact arrest you themselves, they can still call on local police to take up the task if you are caught trying to transport it. The official stance of the TSA is that: “TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but in the event a substance that appears to be marijuana or a cannabis infused product is observed during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.” Which is pretty clear on what would happen if they catch you with some greens.
Tragically, marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 substance by the government, along the same vein as cocaine, heroin, and other far more harmful substances so even though it has been legalized in specific locations, it’s still technically illegal across the country for all intents and purposes. Unfortunately this means that even if you bought your weed legally in one of these places, it immediately becomes illegal the second you begin going through security. Even though catching travelers with marijuana is low on the TSA’s list of priorities, there’s no way to predict how the local agents will handle a given situation so it is best to travel with care and do their research ahead of time.
SOUL PLANE, Godfrey C. Danchimah, Snoop Dogg, 2004, (c) MGM
For example, if you are singled out at Portland’s airport, the local authorities will make sure that your boarding pass will take you to another Oregon airport if you are carrying herb with you because as long as you are flying within Oregon, you can still board with the allotted amount of pot. On the other hand, the TSA at Denver’s airport will make you trow out your weed despite of your destination so you will definitely want to plan ahead.
Ultimately it’s up to the individual enthusiast to determine if they do want to travel with their cannabis and related products but we do urge enthusiasts to make sure what they are getting into. Do you have any tips for folks who would want to travel with their weed?
