When Reddit user SalishSailor posted that Toronto “Pearson International installed a “free weed” bin 🙂” it took off like wildfire. The post included a picture of the receptacles to dispose of your excess or leftover cannabis before you leave Canada. People were comparing it to a library book exchange or a “Have a doobie? Leave a doobie. Need a doobie? Take a doobie.” concept.
Of course you can only put weed in the bins, not take it out. But one devious Reddit user had the great notion that, “I think the key here is that you should observe the uniform and gear of the airport janitor. Then, enter the airport wearing a custodian/janitor uniform, go to some garbage bins and take the garbage, and put in a new garbage bag, and then just walk over to the weed bin and do the same thing. Nobody notices the janitor.”
With over 1.6 thousand upvotes and more than 200 comments, it was definitely timely and hilarious. It is true that at the Toronto airport the bins weren’t anything more than wide open, rectangular garbage bins that one could easily stick their hand in. But according to the airport, the bins are “monitored” so that people aren’t actually helping themselves.
It’s a good bet that some of the disposed weed has made it into someone’s hands. It seems a shame to have all that good marijuana go to waste. Then again, when copping weed with unknown origin, it might be best to have it lab-tested first, and that is probably not worth the expense. It’s legal in Canada now and a dispensary or online order would undoubtedly be the more economic move.
The answer to where the weed actually goes is, “anything that passengers put in the containers is picked up and disposed of by a third-party service,” according to the Toronto airport.
Still, like u/quelar typed, weed happens. “Buddy of mine lands in Vegas, puts on his jacket to go out that night and then looks at me with a terrified stare… Pulls a crumpled joint out of his pocket that he’d unintentionally smuggled all the way there.” While the stoner stereotype is quickly being whitewashed, temporary memory lapse is a sometime side effect of getting really stoned, which, in reality may be a good idea for those with fear of flying or nervousness in general.
Still, remember to dispose of your weed when exiting Canada or to keep it to 30 grams when flying within country. For the state of global cannabis politics, it doesn’t really seem like such a bad deal.
