Are the days of vacuum-sealing marijuana in a bag and hoping airport security doesn’t notice it in your suitcase coming to an end?
Guidance posted April 27 by the Transportation Safety Administration says medical marijuana is allowed on planes, although it is not the last word on the matter.
It’s the latest in a series of moves by President Donald Trump’s administration to loosen restrictions around marijuana.
But don’t just toss those gummies into a carry-on just yet. Each airport can maintain their own policies and DEN is among those with rules that can trump TSA’s position. And the guidance also nods to the murky legality of marijuana possession in the mishmash of state and federal laws and policies.
The post about medical marijuana on TSA’s website made clear that catching people carrying medical marijuana was not a priority.
“TSA’s screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers,” the post reads. “Accordingly, TSA security officers do not search for illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance or evidence of criminal activity is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.”
No. Denver International Airport still says possession of marijuana on city property is not allowed.
Its policy says it is unlawful to “Possess, consume, use, display, transfer, distribute, sell, transport grow Marijuana on any property or facilities owned by DEN.”
While TSA will not actively search for marijuana, its agents can still report “unlawful activity” to local authorities, the new policy says.
Unlike many other airports in Colorado, Denver International Airport does not have amnesty boxes where people can dispose of it, penalty-free.
Yes. The TSA notice says it is OK to bring medical marijuana in carry-ons and checked bags.
The guidance is specifically about medical marijuana, although it does not say how TSA can determine if marijuana is medical or recreational.
It also does not say how much can be brought.
“The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint,” the update says.
Not federally.
While most states and territories allow some form of medical marijuana use, and Colorado is among almost half the states allow adults to use it recreationally, federal law still says it is illegal.
In April, the Department of Justice said it would move some kinds of marijuana with medical use from Schedule I, the most heavily controlled drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, to Schedule III, which can be legally prescribed.
That move did not apply to all marijuana, and it did not make recreational marijuana legal under federal law. The Trump administration said it would look at more sweeping rescheduling.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network., with an emphasis on consumer finance, legal issues and state laws