Fast on the heels of New York State’s new legalization of recreational weed use, the state’s Transportation Security Administration will no longer include marijuana in its passenger luggage searches as long as its under the legal limit.
The Albany Times Union reported a former NYS police colonel has confirmed the new policy. Bart Johnson said, “We don’t seize it. We just look for threats — explosives, knives, guns; we don’t look for illegally possessed narcotics.”
The Times Union story also spoke with an Albany sheriff. County officer Craig Apple said deputies responding to TSA checkpoint searches that they no longer make arrests or issue tickets. This stance only applies of the possession of three ounces or less of weed per the state law. The deputies don’tconfiscate weed either.
The relief on traveling with marijuana isn’t restricted only to New York. It’s reported California and Colorado have both implemented similar policies regarding having weed in your travel bag.
The expansion of legalized recreational ganja is likely to lead less enforcement and regulations in all areas of pot possession. There are already over a dozens of states that allow medicinal use, marijuana use or both.
In time, like New Yorkers can expect in the coming years, more states will allow walking into stores and purchasing a favorite variety of weed products. And they won’t have to be residents. Tourists will be able to do so and take it home. New Yorkers will be allowed to bring home new strains home via any plane.
Despite the new rules, we’d suggest you call your local airport to see where they stand on bringing pot onto their planes.
