January 1, 2018 marks the first day since recreational marijuana was legalized in California that individuals without a medical recommendation can purchase marijuana legally in a store.
But if you can buy marijuana in California legally*, can you fly with it? [*Note that marijuana is still not legal under federal law]
When asked the same question, officer Rob Pedregon, a spokesman for the police force at Los Angeles International Airport, stated, “It’s going to be a very gray area.”
According to Pedregon, it will partially depend on where your flight is headed.
“We’re still in the state of California,” he said. “Open that [airplane] door on the other end and passengers are subject to a whole different set of local laws.”
So, if you’re flying to or through a state where marijuana isn’t yet legal, you should definitely avoid flying with the wacky tobaccy as you could face fines, jails, or imprisonment.
If you’re flying within California with marijuana, the biggest risk appears to be that you may be asked to dispose of your weed or edibles before going through security. While not ideal for some smokers, if you’re flying within California, the destination you’re going to will probably have weed for sale as well.
