What Weed Looks Like on an Airport Scanner | Executive Flyers (2024)

FAQs

What Weed Looks Like on an Airport Scanner | Executive Flyers? ›

Any biological material, including weed, looks orange on an airport scanner

Since marijuana is a plant, it would appear as an organic substance on the scanner. Edibles may show up as food items, which will also appear orange. However, these scanners may not be able to identify other forms of marijuana precisely.

TSA officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs but are required to report any potentially illegal item they find during the security screening process to local law enforcement. Those authorities then decide what, if any, steps are taken next.

Technically, airport security scanners do not detect drugs but they can provide visual clues of drugs hidden under the clothes and in baggage. Even if the scanners cannot determine the exact composition, they can tell if an object is organic or metallic or how low or high density an object have.

Camouflage is another method. Making one thing look like another on the scanner screen is not really all that hard. You can, for example, take advantage of densities in the item. A log of marzipan, for instance, shows up looking exactly like dynamite.

You can put CBD products in checked luggage as long as they contain less than 0.3% THC. One of the perks of storing CBD products in checked luggage versus a carry-on is that you can bring fluids over 3.4 fl oz as long as they comply with the legal THC limit.

Accordingly, TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer. For more prohibited items, please go to the 'What Can I Bring?' page.

Federally legal substances including CBD, nicotine, and e-juice-only carts are fine, but you might get hassled and have to throw them out if the TSA can't prove that it's not THC cannabis. So, we wouldn't advise stocking up before your trip. At most, bring one CBD cart to help you make it through your day of travel.

The scanners use "backscatter" or "millimeter wave" radiation to see through your clothes. A TSA agent in another room will see an image of your body that could include a revealing look at your entire body, including breasts, genitals, buttocks, and external medical devices.

Metal Objects: If you have metal objects in your crotch area, such as zippers, buttons, or belt buckles, they can trigger the scanner to highlight that specific area for further inspection [1].

What happens if they find drugs on you at the airport? ›

If it is illegal locally, they will notify airport or local law enforcement, and detain offenders. If it is legal locally, they will force you to dispose of it because it is still illegal federally. When police arrive, they will arrest you, and you will likely face marijuana possession charges.

Full-body scanners identify both metallic and non-metallic items. However, these scanners cannot detect drugs inside the body. This is what makes these types of scanners different from medical X-rays.

While police dogs are highly trained to detect drugs, they have limitations in detecting cannabis edibles. Alternative methods, such as specialized equipment and training dogs to detect edibles, are being explored to improve drug detection practices.

There are two main types of airport scanners: X-ray scanners and millimeter wave scanners. X-ray scanners use low levels of ionizing radiation to create an image of the contents of a passenger's luggage. These scanners can detect a wide range of items, including weapons, explosives, and drugs.

“Millimeter wave imaging technology does not detect items inside a passenger's body or penetrate the skin,” Langston says. That said, Malvini Redden says body scanners would also not pick up anything else stashed inside a body cavity, such as drugs or hazardous liquids.

Unlike an airport body scanner, which only detects items hidden under clothing, the jail's scanner transmits a low-dose X-ray beam that can identify items underneath clothing and within body cavities. In other words, hiding items — such as drugs or paraphernalia — inside the body won't conceal them.

Checked Baggage Screening

The majority of checked baggage is screened without the need for a physical bag search. Inspection Notices: TSA may inspect your checked baggage during the screening process. If your property is physically inspected, TSA will place a notice of baggage inspection inside your bag.