What you smoke in Vegas, unfortunately, has to stay in Vegas.
Visiting a pot-friendly state such as Nevada now offers tourists a whole new legal experience, thanks to the recreational sale of cannabis. But what do you do with any leftover weed you may have before heading back home where marijuana laws may not be so lax?
While you should absolutely give your excess weed to a dear friend or responsible stranger in need, some tourists often forget they’re carrying, only to find out the hard way in airport security. Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport now has a fix for that.
The airport has installed 10 large, green “amnesty boxes,” so people can ditch their leftover pot (or other drugs) before heading into the airport, the Associated Press reports.
The bright green, mailbox-looking cans have a small door on the front, along with a sign that reads “Disposal for Prescription and Recreational Drugs.” Below that, a Clark County ordinance is listed, informing passengers that it’s illegal to possess cannabis on aviation-owned property.
Back in September, Clark County commissioners voted to ban the advertising and possession of marijuana on airport grounds, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. This may seem a bit harsh, considering you can drink and gamble inside the airport, but the county is scared of upsetting the feds.
“The amnesty boxes are offered as a way to help people comply with this ordinance,” airport spokeswoman Christine Crews told the Associated Press.
The boxes, which are bolted to the ground, will be emptied once a week by a paid contractor, not the police. Sounds like a pretty good job.
In addition to the bins being set up at the airport, some have been also been installed at nearby rental car returns, a location where tourists often ditch their pot.
The issue with weed and airports is somewhat of a grey area, considering eight states and Washington D.C. have legalized possession of recreational cannabis in some form. However, under federal law, cannabis is still (somehow) classified as a schedule 1 drug, along with heroin. Because the federal government regulates secure areas of the airport and has banned marijuana, you probably don’t want to bring weed to any airport, even if you’re flying to another pot-friendly state.
The TSA have repeatedly stated they’re not looking for weed, but if they find it, they’ll hand you over to local law enforcement.
