LAX Will Let You Bring Marijuana in Your Carry-on

A new memo from Los Angeles International Airport is clarifying the rules on bringing marijuana through the airport.

“In accordance with Proposition 64, the Los Angeles Airport Police Department will allow passengers to travel through LAX with up to 28.5 grams of marijuana and 8 grams of concentrated marijuana,” according to the airport’s website. “However, passengers should be aware that marijuana laws vary state by state and they are encouraged to check the laws of the states in which they plan to travel.”

To be clear: LAX is not saying you can fly pot back to your state where it’s illegal to possess. But if you’re flying from Los Angeles to Colorado (or another state where recreational marijuana possession is legal), you might be okay.

If you’re planning on traveling with marijuana, get to the airport early as the process to get through security may not be seamless. There's a tricky loophole those in possession of marijuana should be aware of. Carrying marijuana is still a federal crime, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents are federal employees. If they find pot in your carry-on, you could be stopped for further search and questioning. If security agents find marijuana, they will “turn you over to local authorities,” a TSA spokesperson told CBS Los Angeles.

But local police at the Los Angeles airport will let you go.

“Based on our policy, we’re not going to arrest you or confiscate marijuana,” a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Airport Police, Alicia Hernandez, told the Sacramento Bee.

The policy has been in place since January, when California’s new marijuana rules went into effect.

If you’re traveling with marijuana through LAX, study up on the laws in your origin and destination airport before packing your bags.