Denver International Airport bans pot despite Colorado's new marijuana law
updated 1:12 PM EST, Mon December 30, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Police won't look for pot, but they could issue a $999 ticket if they incidentally find it
- Official: "We just want to make it clear if people are traveling that they just know the rules"
- TSA officers at checkpoints will not look for marijuana in bags or pockets
- Colorado becomes the first U.S. state to license retail sales of marijuana
You won't be searched and
there are no drug dogs patrolling Denver International Airport, but if
you are searched for another reason, you could lose your weed and face a
$999 administrative fine, Denver International Airport spokeswoman
Stacey Stegman told CNN on Monday.
On Wednesday, Colorado
becomes the first state in the U.S. to license retail sales of
marijuana, which could lure visitors from other states to the "mile high
city" by way of the airport. Airport officials have imposed a
zero-tolerance marijuana policy to discourage them, Stegman said.
"We don't know what to
expect," she said. "We hear these stories that there's going to be more
people coming here. We just want to make it clear if people are
traveling that they just know the rules."
Even pot smokers who are
dropping Grandma off for a flight are warned to leave their stash at
home. "We don't think an airport is a place that you need marijuana,"
Stegman said.
Airport visitors who get
into trouble for fighting, being drunk or another infraction could be
searched, but police will not routinely search for marijuana, she said.
Officers at
Transportation Security Administration checkpoints will not look for
marijuana in carry-on bags or travelers' pockets, but if they find it
incidentally, it will be confiscated and airport police would be
alerted, according to the TSA's published policy.
"Law enforcement will
determine how to proceed with the passenger who is attempting to
transport marijuana -- can include arrest, confiscation of the
substance, request to dispose of the substance or allowing passenger to
proceed," the TSA website says. "Passengers may be warned that if they
are traveling into a state where marijuana remains illegal that they
could face further consequences."
Denver police, who patrol
the huge airport, will decide if a ticket will be issued, just as if it
were a speeding ticket, Stegman said. An administrative law judge would
hear any cases that are contested, she said.
"Signs are going up, but
we still have some processes to go through," she said. "Warnings will
be issued for a short period of time."
Colorado cities have authority under the new law to ban marijuana from public property, including municipal airports.
While some states are decriminalizing or legalizing pot sales and possession, federal laws against marijuana have not changed.
"We share a space with
federal agencies, so we also have to respect their rules and
regulations," Stegman said. We are trying to make the best of the
situation. It is new, and we're all learning."
CNN's Miguel Marquez contributed to this report.
end quote from:
No comments:
Post a Comment