Medical marijuana can now be transported in checked and carry-on bags by passengers on commercial flights in the United States after an update to America’s Transport Security Administration (TSA) rules.
The change can be found on the “What Can I Bring?” section of the Security Screening information on the TSA website, which now reads: “Medical Marijuana Carry On Bags: Yes (Special Instructions) / Checked Bags: Yes (Special Instructions).”
Little further detail or reasoning for the 27 April update have been given, other than a brief explanation on the same page that appears to imply that if the drugs do not put flights or passengers at risk, the agency will not consider them a priority. It says: “TSA’s screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers.”
TSA allowed medical cannabis before the Kansas legislature did.
— 𝔊reenthumb 𝐖iżd☯︎m (@Greenthumb_one) May 19, 2026
And KS has how many airports?
Let this sink in… #ksleghttps://t.co/Q6U29mFJCI pic.twitter.com/RCb28gtsqi
It goes on: “Accordingly, TSA security 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.”
State drug licensing laws changed less than a week before the TSA shift in position when the Trump administration’s acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche approved the reclassification of medical marijuana. The decision removes medical marijuana from the Schedule I category, where it used to sit alongside substances defined as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” such as heroin and LSD. Instead, it now falls under Schedule III and is deemed to have “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
The action does not mean marijuana has been legalised on a federal level, but it has nonetheless been described by the president of the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp, Michael Bronstein, as “the most significant federal advancement in cannabis policy in over 50 years.” It paves the way for tax breaks for state-licensed producers and distributors to register with the DEA, and reflects the fact that nearly all American states have now approved cannabis use in some form.
Two dozen states plus Washington DC permit adult recreational use of marijuana, 40 authorise medical marijuana, and eight more sanction low-THC cannabis or CBD oil for medical use. Idaho and Kansas are the only two jurisdictions where marijuana is still outlawed.
While the TSA website is now effectively aligned with that reality, air passengers should be aware the new situation is not a free-for-all and that local laws vary. Importantly, the update does not specify how much medical marijuana each passenger is allowed to carry. The New York Post reports that a 23-year-old who attempted to fly with over 34 kg of “the devil’s lettuce” was arrested for trafficking in Miami. The agency also warns that “the final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint,” making it clear that if a TSA agent finds marijuana and believes a passenger is breaking the law, the individual may be turned over to the police.
