When marijuana tourists throw away their stashes in Chicago, enterprising travelers see an opportunity for free weed.
A recent American Marijuana poll found that cannabis tourists in legal states spent an average of $264.74 on weed products during their trip. The poll added that only 56.7% of tourists brought marijuana “souvenirs” home, with nearly 1 in 5 people mailing their products home to avoid security. Only 7.2% of participants packed marijuana on them during their flight, leaving a large array of folks needing to throw away their stash before going through security. But what is making people shake their heads is travelers are stealing marijuana from Chicago airports.
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This conundrum is why many airports in legal marijuana states have installed “cannabis amnesty boxes,” where travelers can safely dispose their leftover goods without fear of consequences. You can find them in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport, as well as airports in Las Vegas and Aspen, Colorado.
Never saw one of these before. At O’Hare International Airport, Chicago. Recreational #Cannabis just got legal here on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/zVh0ATuaVv
— Kevin Davis (@KevDavis) January 3, 2020
One enterprising traveler, though, recently considered these amnesty boxes as their own lost-and-found bin. According to Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, the unknown traveler entered the Midway Airport approached the box and “removed an unknown object from inside.” NBC5 Chicago reports the marijuana was later returned to the amnesty box after the products were found on a separate passenger going through security.
All of which leaves us wanting more of an explanation. But police plan on installing more secure boxes to avoid any similar incidents occurring in the future.
“Tampering with [amnesty boxes], or attempting to remove anything placed inside, is a crime, and detectives are investigating this matter,” Guglielmi added. “In the meantime, new, permanent theft prevention boxes are expected to replace the temporary ones in the coming weeks, making them more secure and preventing anyone from further accessing materials dropped inside.”
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TSA officials have previously announced officers “are not looking for cannabis as they go through their normal security [check]” in Chicago airports. Should you be caught with marijuana at the airport in Illinois, or any other legal state, TSA will advise you throw it away as airspace is governed by federal laws, making it illegal to have marijuana on your person.
