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Two of Chicago’s airports, O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport, have installed “Cannabis Amnesty Boxes” for passengers to dispose of their recreational marijuana before boarding their flights.
The cannabis amnesty boxes, as they’re called, are stationed just past each Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, said Maggie Huynh, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Police Department told the Chicago Tribune.
The police aren’t targeting travelers with cannabis, and it’s not illegal to have it at the airport, Huynh said. But possessing marijuana is still illegal under federal law, and airspace is regulated by the federal government.
The boxes give people an opportunity to ensure they’re not breaking federal law and won’t run into an issue when they land at their destination, Huynh said.
“We’re not encouraging people to bring cannabis through the airports at all but if for some reason you have it on you, we have those amnesty boxes out there so that you can dispose of it prior to getting on the airplane.”
Though TSA and police are not targeting passengers carrying marijuana – it is legal to have the substance in the state’s airports – it is still illegal to fly with any drug, as airspace is regulated by the federal government and the drug is still illegal under federal law.
TSA does not actively search for “marijuana or cannabis-infused products” at security checkpoints, but the agents are “obligated to report the discovery of any drugs or substances that are illegal under federal law,” a spokesperson for the TSA told Fox News. Local police then determine what further action to take, if any.
Apparently Chicago O’Hare now has little “cannabis amnesty drops” pic.twitter.com/ScXcy2yQD6
— Emma ✒️☕️🗝 (@this_is_emma) January 7, 2020
The boxes are maintained by the Chicago Department of Aviation and the police, Chicago Tribune reported. Police officers will regularly empty the boxes and file reports for items found in the boxes, as well as dispose of surrendered materials inside.
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