Airplane Travel and CBD Legal or Not?
The airlines have resumed commercial flights, sending people back to the skies and traveling again! Are you planning on traveling? Have you been enjoying your cannabis? Mixing the two, does that work? There is no simple answer. It is Yes and No! Read on for more, as it is not simple and changing rapidly.
The pandemic has changed a lot of things! One of them is the acceptance of cannabis and its derived products. Whether you have taken CBD and THC as gummies, vaping, prerolls, edibles, lotions, or oils, they have soared throughout the pandemic, especially edibles. Edibles are consumables with varying levels of CBD and THC infused in them. Whether you purchased them at a dispensary or made them at home doesn't matter. It can be any food or drink product as long as it contains cannabinoids. That being said, thousands of cannabis lovers are expected to travel. Most are unaware of the laws regulating the use and possession of cannabis in the United States. So, here's the current status.
One of the reasons most people are unaware of the laws is that they are confusing. Cannabis legislation varies from illegal to medical to legal, depending on the state in which you reside. At the Federal level, only products with 0.3% THC made from the hemp plant or that are approved by the FDA are legal. At the federal level, THC is an illegal substance regarded as a Schedule 1 drug. Airports and air space are under federal jurisdiction; from a strict law point of view, any product containing less than 0.3% THC or approved by the FDA is allowed. The state laws do not matter. It's under federal jurisdiction, and cannabis is illegal and prohibited. However, the TSA has recently posted this.
Airports and air space are under federal jurisdiction and follow federal laws. The TSA works for the federal government. The screening procedures of the TSA focus on security first, with special attention to potential threats to aviation and passengers. TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs. Still, if any illegal substance is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer. The final decision on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint rests with the TSA officer. The TSA said the change was prompted by the only Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that contains CBD oil, Epidiolex, which is used to treat seizures in children with epilepsy. The notation on medical marijuana now reads: Possession of marijuana and particular cannabis-infused products, including some Cannabidiol (CBD) oil, remains illegal. TSA officers must report any suspected law violations, including possession of marijuana and specific cannabis-infused products. The TSA did not differentiate between marijuana and some hemp-derived products in the past. Hemp derivatives contain little to no THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana that produces a high. The new rule does not change the TSA's ban on other forms of marijuana, including cannabis-infused products and CBD oils that contain THC. But it's unclear how TSA officers would know whether a substance contained THC since the TSA does not do on-site testing at airport security checkpoints. A TSA spokesperson said the matter would be referred to local law enforcement if there is a doubt. Note that airport security officers usually do not search luggage for drugs. Once a person is found in possession of cannabis flowers, concentrates, or edibles, they are transferred to a law enforcement unit on the ground. Carrying psychoactive substances like marijuana into airports or consuming these products on an aircraft is a punishable crime. However, the offender's punishment varies depending on state and local laws.
Let's take a look at each of these separately: CBD, THC Medical, and THC Recreational, as they each have some caveats. It's location, location location, when traveling with CBD. The most important thing to remember is that the legality of these products changes based on your location. In the U.S., CBD has been legal at the federal level since 2018. Possession of hemp-based CBD is allowed in most states because CBD derived from hemp is guaranteed to have less than 0.3 percent THC. However, if you're traveling to a state that you know has strict marijuana regulations, research the state laws before bringing CBD — and make sure your CBD products are devoid of THC-like products from CBD Wild Leaf™. As a best practice, be sure you're flying with clearly labeled hemp products and only the purest CBD from the most reputable brands.
The rules change entirely when traveling outside the U.S. The rules shift to a per-country basis. CBD is illegal in several European, Asian, Middle East, and African countries. When traveling with CBD, the best rule of thumb is to research whether your destination (and any countries or states you are traveling through to get to your destination) allows CBD. You should also thoroughly understand the products in your possession and whether they contain any THC or are purely CBD.
Why is CBD growing in popularity among travelers? First and foremost, it's become a common remedy for travel anxiety. Whether you're a nervous flier who dreads turbulence or gets wound a little tight when traveling with family, CBD is a popular way to release some tension in your shoulders and get back to having a great travel experience. For travelers against significant time differences, there are also fatigue-inducing CBD products to help you find sleep when your internal body clock is out of whack. Finally, travelers constantly dealing with traveling aches and pains (too many hours in a car or plane or too many nights on an Airbnb mattress) might turn to CBD — topical or ingestible — to ease their body aches. CBD is many a traveler's secret weapon to ward off jet lag, flight anxiety, or muscle aches — but crossing borders with it can be complicated. Here's what to know
if you've ever sat on a runway and wished you could eat a piece of candy that would somehow quell your flight anxiety, then we have excellent news: You can. We want to introduce you to the world of travel CBD formally. It's not too good to be true — you really can find delicious CBD gummies to help you relax or even combat anxiety, which is why CBD has become quite popular among travelers. However, the world of CBD isn't without nuance. CBD comes in a variety of forms — from gummies and pills to tinctures and body lotions — and different dosages. The correct dose or product for someone looking to relax in business class with an in-flight movie might be different than the type of CBD you'd need to fall asleep while battling jet lag. There are also legal implications of CBD to consider. It's now widely used in the U.S., but regulations vary from state to state, and CBD is still illegal in many countries.
Can you use CBD products in the air? Providing you do not plan to vape the CBD oil, you can use CBD capsules, tinctures, and other products during your flight. Some people relieve muscle pain and cramps by applying CBD lotions and ointments topically, especially during longer flights. One popular reason people take CBD on planes is that they experience anxiety or nervousness when flying. Taking CBD can help to calm their fears and ease their anxiety. While it does not provide the high or the psychoactive properties of THC, CBD is still a popular remedy for anxiety and other fear-based conditions. Plus, taking CBD means you won't be flying high. If you use a THC product before flying, it may not be a good sensation once you're up in the air. Taking non-psychoactive CBD products eliminates this possibility. CBD, in essence, cannot get you high as it lacks the elements that induce a high in the first place. Cannabis has two main components: CBD and the other is THC. THC is responsible for the high one experience. Once THC is separated from CBD, you cannot possibly get high.
CBD is derived from the part of the marijuana plant that is not psychoactive. It will not get you high, but it can still provide some fantastic, soothing benefits that the rest of the plant offers people. It can help you chill out and ease your worries as you board the plane. Many people suffer from feelings of extreme fear or just general nervousness when flying. It doesn't have to be that way. We'll go over that more below. As we pointed out earlier, there can be numerous reasons why one would want to carry CBD. The point is that the reasons themselves do not matter. The fact is that whether we're afraid of flying on a plane or want to take CBD with us depends.
Don't Attempt to Board a Flight Under the Influence
There have been some instances where travelers mistakenly consumed their edibles at the airport to avoid wastage. The law states that anyone who appears intoxicated by a drug must not be permitted to board a plane. All TSA employees are tasked with ensuring that people under the influence of psychoactive drugs must not be carried. In this case, the only exception is for medical patients whose caregivers chaperone.
Summary
The basic information you should know about carrying edibles to the airport is that the act is illegal. The airport rules across the country are the same, so whether the airport is in a legal state is of no importance. You cannot bring/sneak edibles or any form of cannabis on a plane. Even a legal prescription from a licensed medical practitioner might not be accepted.
The best option is to travel down and find a legal store to purchase your preferred cannabis products. On the other hand, medical patients can quickly request new cards to buy their prescribed drugs at their destination. However, this only works if you find yourself in a cannabis-friendly state or country.
Make sure you look into the legality of whatever you're carrying. And make sure that your products contain no illegal substances. If your CBD oils have even a trace of THC, you may find yourself in hot water. Always read and study the label and look into the active ingredients of whatever you plan to bring.
Even if you have a medical marijuana card, TSA could flag your items if you bring THC aboard. This is because marijuana is still illegal on a federal level.
No matter whether you have a medical card or marijuana is recreationally legal in the state you're traveling to or from, you could get in trouble. For this reason, you should not risk even carrying THC gummies or edibles with you. It's not worth the risk, so always proceed with caution and only bring CBD products with you.
If your products contain any THC, you need to be aware of the THC-to-CBD ratio and make sure you are not breaking any rules.
Disclaimer: The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires this disclaimer. We collected this information from various sources for the convenience of our customers. The Food and Drug Administration did not evaluate the statements made regarding these products. The efficacy of these products is not confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information presented here is not a substitute for information from health care practitioners. It is also not meant as an alternative to information from health care practitioners. Before using any product, consult your doctor and ask about the risk of interactions or complications.