Dear Stoner: I'm flying from one Colorado city to another. Is it legal to carry marijuana on me?
Durango Unchained
Dear Durango: We're not saying you can — and we're not saying you can't. We've written in the past about how the Transportation Security Administration doesn't really have any law-enforcement capabilities. So if the TSA finds that quarter-ounce of Tangerine Haze tucked in with your tighty-whities during a routine search and actually feels like stopping you, agents will hand you over to local police, who will enforce local law. In Colorado, that quarter-ounce is technically legal under state law, and the cops really would have no reason to detain you or take your marijuana. That is, unless you're at Denver International Airport or Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. Both instituted special rules making marijuana possession illegal on the property when recreational cannabis sales began earlier this year, though officials at both have said they really aren't increasing patrols for pot. Violators at DIA face fines ranging from $150 for first-time offenders up to $999 if you're dumb enough to get caught three times or more.
But good news: Durango's airport doesn't seem to have those stipulations (though we guess it might if the facility catches wind of this). Same goes for Telluride, which merely put up signs reminding passengers that once they get on a plane, they're entering federal airspace and are no longer protected by Colorado law. Aspen officials also say they'll probably ignore minor cases handed over to them by the TSA that would otherwise be legal under state law. This is an approach that cops have taken for years in California, where police at major airports like San Francisco International have an unofficial policy of allowing people with medical cards to fly with pot, no problem.
So, to recap: Odds are you're fine, and really the worst that happens is you'll be asked to throw out your herb or pay a fine. It's up to you, but I think TSA is more concerned with how much toothpaste you have on you than with a few joints of Sour Diesel stinking up your Dopp kit.
Dear Stoner: Is there any kind of placement agency for medical marijuana employees?
Bro K.
Dear Bro: Yes, there are companies out there that do cannabis-industry staffing. A couple of places to check out would be HempTemps.com and THCJobs.com; O.pen Vape has also put on cannabis job fairs. But if you want immediate work, your best bet might be to check Craigslist.
