Colorado airports tighten rules on marijuana possession

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Colorado's two largest airports have tightened their rules on marijuana possession after the state became the first in the nation to allow recreational pot stores to operate, airport officials said on Thursday.

Noting that marijuana remains illegal for any purpose under federal law, under which airports operate, the main airports in Denver and Colorado Springs have issued new policies to penalize anyone caught with cannabis.

At Denver International Airport - the nation's fifth- busiest - first-time offenders will face a $150 fine, rising to $500 for a second offense and $999 for a repeat offender, said airport spokeswoman Laura Coale.

At the Colorado Springs Airport, offenders can be subjected to both fines and imprisonment, interim airport manager Dan Gallagher said in a statement announcing the new rules, which take effect on Friday.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/10/us-usa-colorado-marijuana-idUSBREA0904B20140110?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

[MADem]

1. Go Greyhound....and leave the driving to us!

[reddread]

14. bad advice

on one of my worst Greyhound trips (thats saying something) the bus stopped for a sniffing by dogs and the young longhaired
owner of that luggage was hauled off to a fate unknown.
Another stop involved a racist INS officer coming on board and saying some of the
nastiest things I have ever seen a human outside of grade school utter to passengers not of his preferred color.
Go Greyhound if you have to, but dont think its a safe way to avoid real trouble.

[jtuck004]

2. This isn't federal law, or state law? It's airport law? n/t

[Jesus Malverde]

11. It seems like they have been granted some terror related autonomy for patrolling their facilities..

They are abusing that power given to them to make the people safe. It's interesting that they seem to only be able to issue fines. Which presumably unpaid turn into jail time.

Some people really are invested in keeping the people down.

[SmittynMo]

3. You get fined for posessing a legal product in a state that made it legal?

Do they confiscate too? Something smells fishy here. Unbelievable.

[former9thward]

8. They confiscate it and sell it to someone else outside the airport area.

[FlaGatorJD]

4. But we'll be happy to sell you all the beer and tequila you want!

[Bluenorthwest]

5. this is a story from last month

December 30
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/30/us/colorado-denver-airport-marijuana-ban/

[dipsydoodle]

6. It says "airport officials said on Thursday" which was 9th January - date of Reuters News.

Maybe its repeat of the warning now that the law is in place.

[Kelvin Mace]

7. Another fine money-making opportunity

for the gun and badge brigade.

[Jesus Malverde]

9. I hope someone takes this to court. Is the airport not part of the state?..nt

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

15. Dude! Really! ...

... what?

The airport is part of the state. And the state is part of the nation.

Even the county mounties could be there.

Don't light up in the airport, and don't put the bong in the carryon.

[RadleyJ]

10. This brings up an interesting question.

What if a person gets caught with pot on federal property in CO?

Like a post office for example.

[Jesus Malverde]

12. The law...

The airport has discretion to set such rules under state law and city charter, said Denver Assistant City Attorney David Broadwell.

"Amendment 64 broadly decriminalized the possession of marijuana, but the caveat is that the owner of a facility can impose special restrictions," Broadwell said.

The law specifically allows any entity "who occupies, owns or controls a property" to set its own marijuana rules at that property.

Under city charter and laws, the manager of aviation — currently Kim Day — executes control of DIA, Broadwell said.

"They are probably within their rights this time, for once," said Rob Corry, an outspoken pro-pot lawyer in Denver. "Not the answer I would prefer, but it is what it is."

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/57336724-79/marijuana-airport-denver-federal.html.csp

[MindMover]

13. Within 10 years, airlines will be offering mj vapes to passengers ... purple kush, orange state, etc

[RainDog]

16. Balkanization of bud

Airports fall under federal jurisdiction, so it's illegal under fed. law to fly with mj.

but the TSA has previously referred mj possession to the state law enforcement where it's found.

so, this is how CO is handling the issue of tourist taking home a little, or more... but CO and WA residents, once WA's law is implemented, should be able to fly between states without consequence from local law enforcement, it would seem to me, and anyone flying with med mj should be allowed to fly to any other state with med mj laws.