Portland International Airport (PDX), has long been recognized as a great airport by travellers. PDX prohibits retailers from inflating prices at the airport, including Portland’s famous food carts that are now doing business at the airport. The airport has such a cult following in Portland, that the airport’s carpet is iconic and even was named the grand marshal of the city’s Starlight Parade. Portlanders really love the PDX carpet, I mean really, really love it. Now PDX is back in the news and has garnered the favor of the local cannabis community, announcing that they will not prohibit up to an ounce of marijuana from in-state flights.
PDX is allowing travelers to board with the legal amount of marijuana on flights that take off and land within Oregon’s borders.
Airport officials said if a TSA agent finds pot on you, they will notify Port Police. Port Police will check to see if you’re over the legal limit, check your age and look at your boarding pass to make sure you aren’t flying out of the state.
If everything checks out, they’ll let you go on so you can make your flight.
As KPTV notes, federal TSA agents aren’t really looking for marijuana, but may make you dispose of it if you are flying out of Oregon. What hasn’t been reported much in the media, is that the Port of Portland had previously announced that they wouldn’t bother state-licensed medical marijuana patients who complied with state law. PDX’s announcement is just the latest move in marijuana being normalized in Oregon, as it should be. The cannabis community has long been seeking to have marijuana treated like beer and wine, and this may just be one instance where marijuana is actually treated better than beer and wine, as you are now more likely to be able to have marijuana in your carry-on than a bottle of beer or wine.
Anthony Johnson
Anthony, a longtime cannabis law reform advocate, was Chief Petitioner and co-author of Measure 91, Oregon's cannabis legalization effort. He served as director of both the New Approach Oregon and Vote Yes on 91 PACs, the political action committees responsible for the state's legalization campaign. As director of New Approach Oregon, Anthony continues to work towards effectively implementing the cannabis legalization system while protecting small business owners and the rights of patients. He sits on the Oregon Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee and fights for sensible rules at the legislature as well as city councils and county commissions across the state. Anthony helps cannabis business comply with Oregon's laws and advises advocates across the country. He also serves as content director of both the International Cannabis Business Conference and the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, helping share the vision of moving the cannabis industry forward in a way that maintains the focus on keeping people out of prison and protecting patients. He was a member of the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee, assisting the drafting of the administrative rules governing Oregon’s state-licensed medical marijuana facilities. He first co-authored and helped pass successful marijuana law reform measures while a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and practiced criminal defense for two years before transitioning to working full-time in the political advocacy realm. His blogs on Marijuana Politics are personal in nature and don't speak for or reflect the opinions of any group or organization.
