It depends on what you're carrying, and the answer changed in 2026. Adult-use cannabis is still illegal under federal law, and federal law applies at airports and on flights, even between two states where cannabis is legal. Medical cannabis is in a gray area: in April 2026, the Justice Department moved marijuana covered by a state medical license to a less restricted federal category, and days later TSA updated its medical marijuana listing to "Yes (Special Instructions)" for carry-on and checked bags.
What hasn't changed is how screening works. TSA officers don't search for drugs, but if they find an illegal substance or evidence of a crime, they refer it to law enforcement, and what happens next depends on the airport's police and the state you're in. This guide covers what TSA actually says, what changed in 2026, hemp products, and what the airports near our stores say about it. The sources are linked at the end.
What TSA does if it finds cannabis
TSA's job at the checkpoint is security, not drug enforcement. Its guidance says its screening is focused on security and that its officers do not search for illegal drugs. But if any illegal substance or evidence of criminal activity is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.
In practice, that's often the airport's own police, who enforce state law, so the outcome depends on where you are. At an airport in a state where you're carrying a legal amount, the police may let you go. In a state where cannabis is illegal, you could be cited or arrested.
Screening covers checked bags as well as carry-ons, and edibles, cartridges and concentrates as well as flower.
Adult-use cannabis: why legal at both ends doesn't make it legal to fly
Federal law applies everywhere in the country, airports included, and TSA checkpoints are run by a federal agency. Under federal law, adult-use cannabis is still a Schedule I controlled substance: the April 2026 change covered only FDA-approved products and marijuana regulated by a state medical license. Taking adult-use cannabis across a state line is illegal under federal law, even between two states where it's legal.
That's why the same California law that lets an adult 21 or older carry up to 28.5 grams of flower doesn't help once you're on a plane. For California's possession limits, see how much weed you can buy in California.
Medical cannabis after the 2026 rescheduling
In April 2026, the Justice Department moved FDA-approved products containing marijuana, and marijuana products regulated by a state medical marijuana license, to Schedule III, a less restricted federal category. Adult-use cannabis was not included. A broader proposal to reschedule all marijuana is still pending.
Four days later, on April 27, 2026, TSA updated its listing for medical marijuana. It now shows "Yes (Special Instructions)" for both carry-on and checked bags. The instructions say only that officers don't search for illegal drugs and that TSA refers any illegal substance or evidence of criminal activity to law enforcement. The page doesn't define medical marijuana, and it doesn't say whether taking it to another state is legal.
The Congressional Research Service, which analyzes laws for Congress, wrote that the order appears to authorize patients to possess marijuana for medical use without a federal prescription. Its analysis doesn't address taking it across state lines.
That leaves patients in a better but unsettled position. The federal category has changed and so has TSA's listing, but no federal guidance yet says it's legal to carry medical cannabis from one state to another. The state you land in still decides whether your card counts: California doesn't recognize other states' medical cards, and other states decide for themselves whether to recognize California's. If you're a patient and you choose to travel with cannabis, carry your card and keep products in their original labeled packaging. See do you need a medical card in California.
Hemp and CBD products
Hemp products are legal under federal law as long as they meet the federal definition of hemp. Until December 10, 2026, that means no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis.
That definition is changing. From December 11, 2026, most of the federal hemp redefinition takes effect, and a product with more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will generally no longer count as hemp. See when the federal hemp ban takes effect.
If you're flying with a CBD product, keep it in its labeled packaging, and bring its lab report if you have one, so it's clear what it is.
Vapes and batteries
Vape batteries have their own rules, separate from cannabis law. The FAA requires electronic cigarettes and vaping devices to travel in your carry-on or on your person, never in checked bags, and vaping on a plane is prohibited. Our guide to choosing a vape battery covers the FAA rules in detail.
Airports near our stores
Airport police enforce state law, and some airports have said publicly how they handle cannabis.
Los Angeles (LAX). LAX's published policy says California law lets adults 21 and older possess up to 28.5 grams of cannabis and 8 grams of concentrate, and that its airport police officers, as California peace officers, have no jurisdiction to arrest people who are complying with state law. The same policy warns that TSA screening stations are under federal jurisdiction, and that travelers should check the laws of the states they're flying to.
Chicago (O'Hare and Midway). When legal sales began in Illinois in 2020, Chicago's two airports installed "cannabis amnesty boxes" near the TSA checkpoints, where travelers can leave cannabis they shouldn't fly with. The Chicago Sun-Times reported in 2022 that they were rarely used. If you plan to use one, check that it's still there. For Illinois purchase and possession limits, including the lower limit for visitors, see how much weed you can buy in Chicago.
Other airports near our stores. We didn't find a published cannabis policy for San Diego, Burbank, Fresno, Santa Barbara or Santa Maria. If you need to know, ask the airport or its police department before you travel, not at the checkpoint.
Find your nearest store on our locations page.
Flying internationally
International travel adds another country's laws on top of federal law. Bringing cannabis across a national border is illegal in many countries, including some where it's legal to buy. Canada, for example, prohibits taking cannabis across its border in either direction, even though cannabis is legal there. Check your destination's rules before you pack anything.
If you're traveling, your options
- Leave it at home. It's the only option with no legal risk.
- Buy at your destination, if cannabis is legal there and you meet the age and ID rules.
- Use an amnesty box if your airport has one and you've brought cannabis by mistake.
- Don't vape or smoke on the way. Smoking and vaping are banned on flights, and airports restrict where you can smoke. In California, cannabis can't be smoked anywhere tobacco smoking is banned. See where you can smoke weed in California.
Sources and further reading
- Medical marijuana: What can I bring? — Transportation Security Administration, updated April 27, 2026, on carry-on and checked-bag status and referrals to law enforcement
- LAX marijuana policy — Los Angeles International Airport, on its airport police policy
- Justice Department places FDA-approved marijuana products and products containing marijuana subject to a qualifying state-issued license in Schedule III — U.S. Department of Justice, April 23, 2026
- Department of Justice eases control of medical marijuana — Congressional Research Service, 2026, on what the order covers and what it leaves open
- Cannabis and the border: don't travel with it — Health Canada
- 'Cannabis amnesty boxes' rarely used to ditch weed at Chicago airports, records show — Chicago Sun-Times, 2022
