Fly with weed, sure, but know the rules first
Don’t fly high with too big a supply.
That is among the messages staff at Vancouver International Airport want cannabis users to hear now that it is legal to smoke marijuana in this country.
While it’s OK as of today to fly domestic routes with a personal stash, the limit is 30 grams per person. And, as always, transporting weed across international borders remains illegal, even if the drug has been legalized at the destination, said Robyn McVicker, the vice-president of operations and maintenance at YVR.
McVicker is among a crew of aviation heads across the country who are trying to make sure travellers do their homework before they fly headlong into legal trouble.
“What we’re trying to say to people is new laws are in place. Please know where you’re going and the implication of that before you travel. If you’re travelling internationally, whether it’s to the U.S. or any country internationally, please leave your cannabis at home,” McVicker said Tuesday.
That message may not yet be clear to some users. A recent study from the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada showed 22 per cent of survey respondents with medical marijuana prescriptions believed they could travel with pot just like any other prescribed drug, regardless of their destination. However, there are still restrictions on marijuana use and possession in Canada, as well as an array of criminal penalties for offences, including up to 14 years in prison for taking cannabis across the border.
Also Tuesday, Todd Owen, the executive assistant commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations, told reporters that his country was sticking with its existing policies at border crossings despite Canada’s move to legalize.
“Our laws, our policies and our procedures are not changing. Marijuana is still viewed as an illegal narcotic substance in terms of federal law. Possession of such narcotics at the border subjects you to arrest and prosecution, or if prosecution is deferred, you are subject to a $5,000 (US) penalty for possession,” Owen said.
Admission of prior marijuana use may still deem a traveller inadmissible at the border, Owen said. But he went on to clarify that if drug use comes up during an interview, “it could come down to pre-legalization (versus) post-legalization.”
Owen said border officers have discretion in determining admissibility, and if somebody were to admit to smoking frequently that would play into an officer’s decision as to whether they think the traveller would be likely to engage in smoking pot in the U.S. as well.
In general, it all “comes down to the facts and circumstances known to the officer at the time during the inspection process, and what they believe the intent of the traveller is coming to the United States.”
Even Canadians who are flying domestically may want to consider the U.S. stance on marijuana before deciding to carry pot onto a plane, McVicker said.
“The reality is cannabis possession is absolutely illegal in the U.S. So it makes the most sense if you’re travelling not to take cannabis with you for fear that there could be a diversion. We don’t know what would happen. U.S. CBP hasn’t declared what they’re going to do if a plane gets diverted and people have cannabis,” she said.
When asked if it was possible a checked bag with marijuana in it could unintentionally be placed on an internationally bound flight, McVicker said: “It would be truly unlikely ” because the baggage system for domestic flights is separate from that of international flights.
Travellers flying inside Canada also need to know they can only bring with them legal forms of cannabis, which excludes things like edibles or lotions, McVicker said.
As for those who want to smoke up while at the terminal, there are designated marijuana-friendly areas on levels one and three, McVicker said. Just don’t smoke too much.
“If you are under the influence, it’s really up to the airline whether or not they’ll let you on their aircraft,” she said.