HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Understanding different marijuana laws from state to state can be confusing, especially since what's legal when buying, selling and using it varies across the country.
The News 3 Investigative Team previously examined marijuana laws in the state of Virginia andissues of marijuana seen when buying guns.
The team is continuing to explore how marijuana laws are impacting the public. Now, our investigators are looking into how the laws are enforced at airports in the Commonwealth.
Recently, several pounds of marijuana were the focal point of two separate cases involving two men accused of packing large amounts of marijuana in their luggage. In both cases, the men were traveling from California to Norfolk.
In one of the cases, a man is accused of being found with about 80 pounds of marijuana. Police say the man in the second case wasn’t charged.
While searching court records, News 3 found a third case being investigated by federal authorities. In this instance, over 24 pounds of marijuana was found in a man’s checked luggage when flying from Los Angeles to Norfolk, according to the documents. He was arrested for outstanding warrants out of Suffolk.
We reached out to local and federal authorities about these situations. Norfolk Airport officials say incidents of drug violations are rare, and Norfolk Police say they've had two drug violations at the airport since the start of 2023.
The Newport News International Airport reported that since the start of 2023, they have had no known incidents of any passengers traveling with marijuana.
TSA issued the following statement:
"Marijuana and certain cannabis infused products, including some CBD oil, remain illegal under federal law except for products that contain no more than 0.3 percent THC on a dry weight basis or that are approved by FDA. (See the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-334.) TSA officers are required to report any suspected violations of law to local, state or federal authorities.
TSA’s screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers. Accordingly, TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer."
News 3 followed up and asked the TSA how many incidents have there been involving travelers having marijuana on them since the start of 2023. Below was the response:
“TSA does not track marijuana catches. TSA is not searching for drugs. TSA is focused on security and items that people might be concealing in an effort to cause a catastrophic incident on a plane. Marijuana is not a security threat to the aircraft, passengers or crew members. However, if TSA officers do come across drugs, the local police are notified and they handle the situation.”
Steve Sterling, the Executive Vice President of the Norfolk International Airport Authority, said when traveling, it's important to take the laws of the different jurisdictions you're passing through into consideration.
“Understanding the laws, on the local and the federal end, and the destination's jurisdiction with respect to marijuana is important,” Sterling said.
In the state of Virginia, you can have up to an ounce of marijuana on you if you're 21 or older. However, the state's laws pertaining to marijuana possession in airports are different.
“As you enter in the TSA screening, marijuana is still federally prohibited,” explained Sterling.
This means at TSA checkpoints, you are not allowed to have marijuana on you or in your luggage for recreational purposes because it is still against federal law. This is because when you're flying, you are under federal jurisdiction. Then, depending on what state or city you land in, the law differs in that jurisdiction.
Consuelo Enriquez was recently traveling from Texas to Norfolk. She said she used to love to smoke marijuana to wind down at the end of her day but due to her job, she can no longer do that.
She respects the law and the different rules in each state and believes it is important for people to follow the law.
“There’s a time and a place for it. It’s not legal yet. It’s not legal yet everywhere, so we still have to obey those laws,” said Enriquez
Sterling said sometimes when people are packing their bags for a trip, they unknowingly pack things that are prohibited, like guns.
He suggests making sure your bag is completely empty when you start packing. He said there have been many times when people have accidentally brought a gun with them when entering the airport, which causes problems.
For information on going through TSA with medicinal marijuana, click here.
For other important information to know before you travel through Norfolk International Airport, click here.
