DENVER (CBS4)– Rental car workers at Denver International Airport say pot tourists are regularly leaving them with marijuana that travelers don’t want to try to carry through DIA.

“It happens quite often,” a rental car employee at a national chain told a CBS4 employee. “Every couple of days. I just throw it in the trash.”

At another major rental car agency on rental car row at the airport, a worker said, “It happens pretty often. More during the weekends. Probably like four times a day. Me, I just throw it away. I don’t know about the others.”

The rental car agencies have become something of a dumping ground for marijuana as Colorado’s pot tourists apparently know that they could be cited if they attempt to bring marijuana into the airport itself.

While small amounts of marijuana are legal in Colorado, prominent signs warn travelers it’s unlawful to move pot through DIA.

“It’s illegal for you to take it across state lines and since we are an airport, we’re not going to facilitate the transportation of marijuana illegally,” said Stacey Stegman, a spokesperson for DIA.

Stegman said since January, DIA authorities have caught 16 people trying to go through a security checkpoint with marijuana. She said the airport could cite the travelers, but instead chooses to have them dump their marijuana in the trash.

“We want them to discard it peacefully and carry on with their trip. When you travel and go home,” said Stegman. “You can’t take it with you.”

So as a result, rental car employees say many air travelers discard their dope when they drop off their cars.

At another major rental car company, an employee told CBS4 pot is handed over to employees “pretty frequently… but depends on if there is an occasion.”

She went on to say that around holiday weekends, like the 4th of July, there seems to be a surge in travelers leaving their stashes behind.

At another national rental chain, the employee told CBS4, ”For the sake of what it is it happens pretty frequently.”

She said employees typically either throw out the product or turn it over to supervisors, “We try not to let it get to the car wash bay because those guys will take it.”

Some rental car workers told CBS4 car renters will frequently just leave their pot behind in their rental cars when they turn them in, or will occasionally try to “tip” rental car employees with marijuana.

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