Is it about to get easier to pack your pot on an airplane? Without any fanfare or even a press release, the Transportation Security Administration quietly changed its policies regarding marijuana in April 2026 — specifically, medical marijuana. But as news of TSA’s change began to circulate, the specifics remained unclear.
According to the TSA’s official website, “medical marijuana” is now permissible in both carry-ons and in checked bags, with a “special instructions” caveat. Those instructions, however, have not yet been clearly defined. TSA also explains that while it does not specifically search for illegal drugs, the agency retains final discretion over whether to permit items through the safety checkpoints and will turn any illegal substances or evidence of criminal activity over to law enforcement. Long classified as Schedule I contraband (alongside heroin), this is the first time since President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 that any form of marijuana’s risk has been downgraded by federal law. But the question remains: can you bring cannabis on a plane, or can’t you?
