For a very short time Wednesday afternoon, medical marijuana appeared to be TSA-approved on U.S. flights.
The mix-up occurred when Denver-based pot app, Mass Roots, noticed a surprising “Yes” next to medical marijuana on the TSA’s “What to Bring” page. Delighted, Mass Roots advised patients to bring their doctor recommendations and ID cards abroad all flights in case of questioning.
TSA responded in a tweet apologizing for the mistake and reminding passengers to leave their stashes at home. They have since updated the webpage, but you can see a cached version here.
TSA also published an update primer on the agency’s policy towards illegal substances. After all, marijuana is still considered a Schedule I drug and illegal at the federal level.
“Security officers do not search for marijuana or other drugs. In the event a substance that appears to be marijuana is observed during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer,” the TSA said on its website.
“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.”
