Even if you have a medical marijuana card, no exemptions are made.
Again, weed is illegal on a federal level, so there are no exemptions for marijuana outside of the state in which the exemption is issued.
Not Even Between Two States Where Weed is Legal
We just said that “there are no exemptions for marijuana outside of the state in which the exemption is issued.”
But this doesn’t mean that you can fly with edibles and other weed products from one state where weed is legal into another where it is legal, either.
Again, this is because weed is still illegal on a federal level and airport and airplanes are under federal jurisdiction.
The TSA Probably Will But Might Not Care
If the TSA finds edibles or other weed products in your carry on or checked bags, the officer who found the weed has a responsibility to report you to law enforcement.
If in a state where weed is legal, such as California, and just a small amount of weed is found, the TSA agent may simply confiscate your weed unless there is a large amount of weed involved.
The TSA Generally Doesn’t Actively Search For Weed
It surprises many people to hear that the TSA doesn’t actually care about weed all that much.
“TSA’s screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers.
Accordingly, TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.”
In other words, the TSA are not actively looking for passengers who are flying with weed.
The TSA have far important things to look for and be worried about that are much more of a direct threat to aviation safety.
But if you try to bring weed on a plane and it is found, then it will still be reported, as it is a TSA agent’s duty to report any illegal substances, including weed, to law enforcement.
What Edibles Look Like on an Airport Scanner
Airport scanners can detect weed, though not necessarily outright.
The way an airport scanner works is that when an item passes through the scanner, it either comes up as orange, green, or blue.
This represents organic material (orange), non-organic materials (green), or metals and hard plastics (blue/black).
As weed is organic matter, it comes up as orange.
As explosives are often partly composed of organic materials, this means that a TSA agent may pay closer attention to what it is in your luggage, search your bag and find your weed.
When it specifically comes to edibles, though, edibles just look like any other food item on an airport scanner.
If edibles aren’t kept in their original packaging and don’t have a strong smell, it can be hard to tell that you’re flying with edibles, though a dog may be able to pick up the scent.
You are not allowed to bring a dab pen on a plane if it contains any illegal substances, even though weed might be legal in the state you are flying out of or flying into.
The dab pen should be empty if you want to bring it with you to your destination.
Ella Dunham, a Freelance Travel Journalist and Marketing Manager, boasts an impressive career spanning eight years in the travel and tourism sectors.
Honored as one of "30 Under 30" by TTG Media (the world’s very first weekly travel trade newspaper), a "Tour Operator Travel Guru" and "Legend Award" winner, Ella is also a Fellow of the Institute of Travel, a Member of the Association of Women Travel Executives, has completed over 250 travel modules, and hosts travel-focused segments on national radio shows where she provides insights on travel regulations and destinations.
Ella has visited over 40 countries (with 10 more planned this year).
