Medical Marijuana Allowed for Air Travel

Traveling Americans can now take medical marijuana on flights thanks to updated regulations from the TSA. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche finalized this change on April 23, just a few days before the TSA announced it on their website.

The TSA website quietly updated on April 27, explaining that medical marijuana is allowed in both checked and carry-on baggage, although there are “special instructions” involved. However, the specifics of these instructions, like how much medical marijuana one can carry, weren’t provided.

The TSA website mentions, “TSA’s screening procedures focus on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers. Therefore, TSA security officers do not search for illegal drugs. However, if they find any illegal substances or evidence of criminal activity during screening, the matter will be referred to law enforcement.”

This change follows the reclassification of state-licensed medical marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The federal government now sees it as having moderate-to-low potential for dependence, rather than no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

While this decision supports medical marijuana initiatives in the 40 states that permit them, allowing registered producers to work with the DEA, it stops short of federally legalizing recreational marijuana. For adult-use cannabis, the status remains as a Schedule I drug. However, this shift does significantly enhance research opportunities and offers notable tax benefits for qualified medical operators.

In the end, the TSA stresses that its officers have the final say at security checkpoints regarding what can be brought through, including medical marijuana.