Medical marijuana advocates were overjoyed when former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon lent his celebrity endorsement to their cause this week.
Despite a Tribune photo of McMahon puffing away on pot while visiting Chicago from out of state, though, anyone planning to travel with marijuana should be warned they do so at their own risk.
Transporting marijuana across state lines remains a federal offense, regardless of state laws or the drug being acquired legally. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration states on its website that its officer do not search for marijuana or other drugs, but if they find any, will refer the matter to local law enforcement.
But McMahon, who said he qualifies to use medical marijuana legally in Arizona, where he lives, also admitted that he travels with the drug. He said he has on occasion had his marijuana confiscated by airport security officials but said they have never sought to pursue criminal possession charges against him.
Technically, only those who have medical marijuana cards issued by the state of Illinois are allowed to purchase or smoke pot legally in the state.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which administers the program, only Illinois-issued registry ID cards are valid at Illinois medical marijuana dispensaries.
Conversely, those with Illinois medical marijuana cards cannot legally consume pot out of state, and residents of other states cannot apply for a card in Illinois, even if they have one of the conditions that would qualify them for access.
McMahon, a member of the 1985 Super Bowl team, said he has no financial stake in Illinois’ industry but simply wants to promote medical marijuana, which he called a “godsend” and credited with helping him stop using prescription painkillers to treat injuries from his playing days.
In Chicago, since 2012, possession of small amounts of marijuana, under 15 grams, is punishable by a fine of $250 to $500, though police may still opt instead to arrest the offender.
Police did not respond immediately to requests to explain how they handle possession at the city’s airports. In other states with medical marijuana, people have reported having small amounts of the drug confiscated but being allowed to go their way — which was McMahon’s experience.
Without specifying the location, the man once known as the Punky QB said that airport security screeners twice found a little bit of pot in his golf bag and confiscated it. He showed them his medical marijuana license from Arizona, but such cards are good only in the states where they are issued.
“I usually just bring enough with me for a couple of days,” he said. “It’s not a big deal.”
Other states deal with marijuana possession at airports in various ways. In Washington, which has legalized medical and recreational pot, officials said police can’t prevent people from packing up to an ounce in their carry-on or checked baggage.
But in Colorado, even though medical and recreational marijuana are legal, some airports have banned marijuana, threatening fines and jail, to prevent violations of federal law. At Denver International Airport, officials installed drop boxes to dispose of weed and have gone so far as to ban the sale of souvenir clothing depicting marijuana.
In 2014, 29 people were caught trying to bring marijuana on an airplane at the Denver airport. They were allowed to fly without penalty after throwing out the contraband.
Federal records show that as of 2009, less than 1 percent of all marijuana seizures were from commercial flights, while the vast majority of drug seizures occurred on land.
The states of Nebraska and Oklahoma have filed suit against Colorado, charging that its legalization of marijuana has caused them increased costs from arrests and seizures of the drug coming into their states by car and truck.
rmccoppin@tribpub.com
Twitter @RobertMcCoppin
