Colorado Springs Airport has installed ‘amnesty boxes’ to give people an opportunity to discard their marijuana before boarding on an aircraft.
Colorado recently became the first state in the US to legalise recreational use and possession of marijuana.
The airport has banned the possession of marijuana on its property, in line with federal aviation regulations, which state that it is illegal to operate a civil aircraft if there is marijuana on board.
The new boxes join existing ones that have been installed to encourage travelers to dump banned objects such as pocket knives and large fluid containers, and they give people an opportunity to drop marijuana without penalty. The airport will then destroy the drugs.
According to the airport officials, it is legal to leave marijuana in airport parking lots and people may choose to do so. Individuals caught attempting to travel with marijuana face a fine of up to a $2,500 or jail time.
Denver International Airport, the largest airport in the state, has formalised a policy banning marijuana and established fines for possessions marijuana across the entire airport property, and has also installed warning signs at the entrances.
Officials at Denver International Airports said that while they will not be installing amnesty boxes in the airport, those who accidently bring it into the property should throw it into the thrash.
However, Greg Phillips, aviation director for Eagle County Airport, said: “What we don’t want is them throwing it in the trash can. Then you have other people digging through the garbage.”
Colorado Springs Airport is a city-owned public civil-military airport located in El Paso County, Colorado, US, and is the second busiest airport in the state.