On Tuesday, April 5th, 2017 TSA made a change to their, “What Can I Bring” page, and it now made it legal to bring medical marijuana in both checked baggage and carry-on.

By Wednesday morning the spark of this incredibly progressive new law had hit the timber and was set ablaze. Incredibly, after tons of weed-related activity were tossed all over social media, pages like the TSA’s were unsure how to handle the mass confusion.

The brilliant TSA minds were called together for an emergency meeting to try and solve this extremely simple problem. After the hard debate, a masterfully crafted plan was constructed and was given the green light immediately…the TSA pulled the entire medical marijuana listing from the page altogether.

Unfortunately for the TSA, there was an immediate social media backlash to the rules of moon cabbage suddenly disappearing from the TSA website, leaving most pot-heads floating in a dark vortex of clueless space. To clear the ever-heightening confusion, the TSA then added the medical marijuana listing back onto the handy-dandy What Can I Bring? guide, but this time with bright red “NO” distinctions, for both carry-on and checked luggage next to medically prescribed marijuana.

The “Error” change-back

These bright red NO letters reminded me of the movie “Pineapple Express” and it’s historical introduction scene with Private Miller, and the General of that time screameing that weed is ILLEGAL!

Propaganda and irrationalities have inevitably spread throughout the world on the subject of cannabis. While this content has become a bit less ridiculous over the years, still some of the more extreme arguments and beliefs are illogical, confusing, and just plain stupid. Duke London, an author for Marijuana.com reached out to the TSA for clarification on this change that had occurred.

The official TSA statement that he received back was this:

“There was an error in the database of a new search tool that is now corrected. While we have no regulations on possessing/transporting marijuana, possession is a crime under Federal law. Our officers are not looking for illegal narcotics, but they have to report them to law enforcement when discovered.”

Duke followed-up this TSA response by asking about the states upholding medical marijuana laws and why these travelers, and paying customers, would be banned from carrying their prescribed medicine onto the plane. Especially if law enforcement wouldn’t be able to arrest these pot criminals and TSA agents weren’t looking for it.

The TSA’s riveting response:

“TSA has no regulations on possessing/transporting marijuana.”

This ambiguous response left the question we all wanted unanswered, why then would the TSA site now state that bringing medical marijuana in either checked or carry-on bags is prohibited, especially if there are no regulations in place for the TSA. The more you look into this conundrum the more you wonder how a Federal entity is so lost on its policy. So Duke pursued and got this…

TSA: “Whether or not marijuana is considered legal under local law is not relevant to TSA screening because TSA is governed by federal law. Federal law provides no basis to treat medical marijuana any differently than non-medical marijuana.”

Duke has persistently pushed for more details about the TSA weed “error” to see where they stand but he’s had no luck. What I perceive from all of this is that the TSA doesn’t screen, or give a damn, if you have weed in your luggage just make sure they don’t see it. In reality, they’re obligated to enforce federal law as an actual federal agency, so with marijuana being named a Schedule I drug a chill policy is nice to see.

They’re struggling to declare a definitive statement in regard to its stance on passengers flying with marijuana. The TSA’s website does clarify that its agents are not necessarily seeking out the drug. This ideology of neutrality unless attacked upon is logical and efficient with pot. The truly threatening problems at an airport don’t include a 23-year old smelling odd and buying way too many Auntie Anne’s pretzels. They don’t include any substance that makes you smile, laugh, or giggle almost uncontrollably.

For many pot is a life-saving medicine, so I hope the TSA can find a plan involving sympathy and logic…especially when one imagines how much weed is already passing through airports each and everyday.

Any efforts to stop it is taking time and energy away from the true threats out there that MUST be stopped. For those of you who see marijuana as a true national threat, go read a book, or do some google searches because you’re wrong. Simply put, you’re dead wrong.

It is quite amazing the TSA is as scrambled and nonchalant as they are about weed even more so because of their Federal Tag. It seems the anti-pot establishment is currently running on fumes with its federal war against pot and change seems imminent. I see a bright future for medical marijuana, even in the sky.