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Welcome to Questions Bros Ask, a place where we answer the questions you didn’t know you needed the answer to. In our latest installment, we’re looking at whether or not it’s a good idea to fly with weed.
Marijuana is currently legal in 10 states in addition to the District of Columbia, which is especially rich when you realize the people in Washington are the ones responsible for its federal ban and a government agency based there recently approved a cannabis-based drug even though it’s legally classified as having no medical benefits.
If your only experience with buying weed involves a dude who says his name is Tex rolling by your apartment with a lockbox full of various products, you’d be (or have been) blown away by what it’s like to step into a dispensary in a state where it’s legal and walk out feeling like you still did something wrong.
If you’ve happened to visit one of those states during a trip from a place with archaic laws, then you know how hard it can be to resist the urge to take a few goodies home with you. However, common knowledge dictates smuggling such products across state lines isn’t exactly the smartest idea in the world unless you’re a fan of prison.
As D’Angelo Russell recently taught us, rolling up to an airport with a bunch of bud might not be the wisest decision. With that said, there are no shortage of edibles on the market these days and it’s pretty easy to convince yourself you might be able to get away with throwing a chocolate bar or some gummies in your luggage.
However, how risky is it really? Let’s take a look at the answer to the question that brought you here.
Can You Fly With Marijuana?
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The TSA was founded just a couple of months after 9/11 to stop people from doing bad things on airplanes, which is a pretty admirable cause—at least in theory.
Unfortunately, as we all know, they’ve gone to arguably excessive lengths when it comes to trying to prevent said bad things from happening, whether we’re talking about pretty invasive body scans or making you buy overpriced water once you get through security thanks to its crippling fear of liquids and gels.
However, it seems like the agency isn’t as afraid of weed as you might think.
Last month, the TSA threw up an Instagram post on 4/20 (the weed number) to outline their policy on marijuana and it turns out they might not be as big of a buzzkill as you may have assumed.
According to the post, the agency’s priority is to sniff out anyone who might be a threat to their fellow passengers as opposed to the strict enforcement of federal law. As a result, if you’re flying out of a legal state and are caught with weed on your person, you’re pretty much in the clear, as there’s nothing local law enforcement can really do besides suggest you throw it out.
Many airports in such states have sanctuary boxes where you can dispose of marijuana before you peace out, although if you want to be a major bro, you should post up at the arrivals gate and do someone a solid by giving them what you can’t bring with you.
Last year, LAX announced it would allow passengers to board a plane with weed—although the amount must be under a certain threshold—and said law enforcement at the airport won’t take your destination into consideration if the TSA refers you to them.
As a result, you’re in the clear if you’re leaving Cali and heading to another legal state but you might want to think twice if you’re going to a location where it’s prohibited (it should also be noted medical marijuana licenses aren’t always considered valid in other jurisdictions).
So what’s the verdict? At the end of the day, you probably shouldn’t worry too much about flying with marijuana, but if you’re still a bit paranoid, throwing it in a checked bag is probably your best bet. As I mentioned above, you’re also probably going to avoid transporting flower if it’s especially loud unless you want to attract more attention to yourself than it’s worth.
Happy flying.