TSA Seizes Marijuana Snacks At Aspen Airport

Colorado's legalization of marijuana does not necessarily mean people visiting the area can buy special snacks to take home, but that is not stopping some people from trying. TSA agents in Aspen just caught someone trying to take edible marijuana products on a plane leaving the area, but even though the perpetrator got caught, he did not get into any trouble.

According to the Denver Post, TSA agents at the Aspen Pitkin-County airport caught a passenger attempting to take 36 ounces of marijuana-infused edibles on a plane. They confiscated the snacks and turned the matter over to the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, but the Sheriff's Office decided not to press charges because under state law the passenger had not done anything wrong. 

The Sheriff's Office clarified that once a passenger gets onto a plane, federal law applies. Under federal law, marijuana is banned. But if the person is caught before getting on the plane, then authorities are not entirely sure what to do with them. In this case, the TSA agents just turned the matter over to local authorities. 

Colorado attorney Lauren Maytin said that seems to be par for the course at the moment, because federal agencies are not interested in prosecuting people for possessing small amounts of marijuana. 

"They're not prosecuting for petty amounts," she said. "Unless you're talking about major poundage, they're turning it over to the local authorities, and the locals are saying, 'It's legal.'"