Crime & Safety

Marijuana Caught At BWI, Officials Remind It's Still Illegal: CBP

Customs officers caught two travelers with marijuana at BWI last month, a report said. Officials reminded that the drug is still illegal.

LINTHICUM, MD — Customs officers said they caught two passengers with marijuana last month at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Officials reminded travelers that marijuana is still illegal on federal grounds, like airports, regardless of local laws.

The most recent find came June 29 before a flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica, an incident report noted. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol added that it found these items in a bag before workers loaded it onto the plane:

  • Leafy marijuana
  • Gummies
  • Hard candy
  • A piece of a "protein bar"
  • A package of seeds that all tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical in marijuana, also known as THC, that causes a high
  • Some Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms

Officers wrote that they spotted the passenger at his departure gate. Security mentioned that it found more THC gummies in the traveler's carry-on.

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Authorities reported that they seized all the drugs, which weighed a combined 303 grams, and released the man. Officials explained that they are not identifying the passenger because they did not press criminal charges.

Security informed that it also found marijuana in the luggage of a woman arriving to BWI from the Dominican Republic earlier last month. In response, customs officers indicated that they revoked her Global Entry trusted traveler membership.

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Border patrol seizes an average of 3,677 pounds of drugs each day across the country. More daily statistics are available here.

"Customs and Border Protection Ports of Entry are federal inspection stations, and federal law still prohibits the possession of both medical and recreational use marijuana," stated Keith Fleming, acting director of field operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office. "Travelers may evade arrest for marijuana possession, but they do face hefty civil penalties and may potentially miss their flight, so CBP encourages travelers to closely examine their baggage before arriving at the airport."


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