Blog Post

Oct 31, 2017

FAA Rule May Permit Air Shipment of Marijuana to Islands

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Transport of marijuana in states where it is legal to islands located within the state is complicated by the fact that transportation by air generally violates federal law. Rule 91.19 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 91.19) generally prohibits civil aircraft from knowingly transporting marijuana and other types of illicit drugs within the US. The prohibition initially applied to flights between US and Mexico but was subsequently amended to include flights solely within the US. However, the rule contains an exception for the transport of drugs “authorized by or under any Federal or State statute or by any Federal or State agency” and, as was recently reported by The Boston Globe (State Eyes Flight Rule to Ship Marijuana to Islands), the chairman of Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission is looking at the exception as a means to potentially permit air transport of marijuana to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

Read the full blog post.