Cops will no longer arrest people for weed at New York airports

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Police at several New York state airports have been ordered to stop detaining people who travel with small amounts of weed.

Bart R. Johnson, federal director of security for Albany International Airport and 14 nearby airports, stated that while weed remains federally illegal, killing people for cannabis is not a priority for security officials. And now that New York finally legalized adult cannabis this spring, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials and local police can focus on identifying real threats.

Johnson told the Times Union airport security will not take marijuana from passengers. “We’re not confiscating them. We’re only looking for threats – explosives, knives, weapons; we don’t look for illegally possessed narcotic marijuana … so we check to see if it’s a threat … if it turns out to be an illegal substance, we will notify law enforcement. ”

The TSA is not a law enforcement agency, so they cannot directly arrest or otherwise act against anyone with weed in their pockets. However, federal law requires TSA officers to call local police if they discover cannabis or other illegal drugs during routine security checks.

“Let’s be frank,” the TSA wrote on a social media post, “TSA officials are NOT looking for marijuana or any other illegal drug. Our screening procedures focus on safety and detecting potential threats to marijuana or a cannabis-infused product, we are required by federal law to notify law enforcement agencies. This also applies to articles that are used for medical purposes. “

Due to this rule, Albany International TSA agents still occasionally call the local police when they discover weed in a passenger’s luggage. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said his officials arrested dozens of people or gave tickets every year for bringing weed to the local airport. But since March 31, the day New York’s Adult Use Act went into effect, its officials have stopped issuing tickets or arrests for minor cannabis possession.

“We’re not taking it anymore,” Apple told the Times Union. “It’s legal if no more than three ounces and, well, have a good day.”

Airports in Colorado, Nevada, and other states that legalize cannabis have set up amnesty boxes that allow travelers to dispose of cannabis products before flying into states where cannabis is still illegal. As in New York, the police in Illinois and other states with cannabis law are turning a blind eye to passengers who abide by state cannabis laws, but cops in the Prohibited States will continue to arrest people for any amount of cannabis – or sometimes even for state CBD Products.