Loading your stash box will keep your holiday more chill than the North Pole when dealing with South Bay seasonal traditions like three-hour parking lot clusterfucks at Valley Fair, but watch out if you’re traveling this weekend with your cannabis. Adult use of marijuana is now legal in California, but that doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all; whether reaching your destination by plane, train or automobile, laws, rules and regulations still apply when traveling with that good green Christmas tree.
Marijuana is banned under federal law, so traveling with it by airplane or railroad is technically illegal, even among the 420-friendly West Coast states like California, Oregon and Washington. But some airports have their own favorable marijuana policies; Los Angeles International announced earlier this year that passengers may carry up to 28.5 grams of weed through security.
Last year a spokesperson also told the S.F. Weekly that SFO “doesn’t have a specific policy” on cannabis at their security checkpoints and usually defers to local law enforcement. San Jose Mineta International Airport reps didn’t return several calls for comment. But according to their website, marijuana is not allowed inside checked luggage or carry-on bags (although one guy arrested at Mineta earlier this year for smoking weed on a flight clearly gave no fucks).
Sneaking weed on planes isn’t new. A survey of 1,001 people by Strato Jets found that a third admitted to bringing something prohibited onboard, with marijuana earning the top spot for most-smuggled item.
The staggering array of discreet products like vape pens, THC oils, balms, tinctures and edibles eliminates the need to fly with any flower. But if you’re worried about being caught with anything, apps like Leafly, Nugg, Budly and Eaze will connect you with local dispensaries and delivery services so you can safely stock up at your destination. One dispensary, Airfield Supply Company, is even conveniently located right down the street from Mineta.
Some people eat edibles before climbing aboard, often to alleviate anxiety associated with flying. A long flight is an ideal time for consuming edibles because the liver metabolizes and converts regular ol’ THC into its more potent cousin, 11-hydroxy-THC, which does a better job crossing the blood-brain boundary and produces a longer, more intense high than smoking. If you’re new to edibles, maybe don’t try them for the first time on a plane. But if you do, try to have more of a clue about what you’re doing than, say, the New York Times’ Maureen Dowd, and stick to 5 or 10mg an hour until you find your tolerance limit.
