Interstate Cannabis Travel Laws: Where Can You Travel With Weed

Whether you’re road-tripping through California or catching a domestic flight from Denver to Vegas, a lot of cannabis consumers are wondering the same thing: Can you travel with weed in 2025? The short answer is complicated. Cannabis remains illegal under federal law, but how that law is enforced depends on your destination, your method of travel, and what you’re bringing.

Here’s what to know before you pack your weed pen, gummies, or favorite flower.

In 2025, traveling with recreational cannabis is generally allowed within states where adult-use cannabis is legal, as long as you remain within state lines and follow local possession limits. But once you cross a state border or enter federal territory, the risks change.

If you’re wondering where you can travel with weed legally (within state lines), these are your best bets:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington

In each of these states, you can legally carry cannabis within your state’s borders, including infused products, as long as you avoid federal areas or other states.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) doesn’t actively search for cannabis. Their mission is to detect potential threats to aviation and security, not marijuana. But cannabis is still a controlled substance under federal law, and TSA security officers are part of a federal agency. That means that anything they find is reported to local law enforcement, not handled directly by the TSA.

So, can you take weed on a domestic flight in the U.S.? Technically, no. Bringing marijuana onto a plane violates federal law, even if you’re flying between two legal states or staying within one. TSA agents may discover cannabis during screening, but they don’t arrest people. Instead, they refer cases to local or federal law enforcement. What happens next depends on the marijuana laws at the airport you’re departing from or landing in.

Refer to our complete guide on Flying with Weed & Airport Security and Traveling with Medical Marijuana for more info.

Crossing state lines with cannabis is illegal, even between two legal states, and can lead to serious legal consequences under federal jurisdiction. Depending on the amount and your intent, you could face criminal charges.

Penalties for Carrying Weed Across State Lines

• Small amounts for personal use may result in a warning, fine, or confiscation, but not always.
• Larger amounts, or anything law enforcement interprets as intent to distribute, can lead to criminal prosecution.
• Even weed gummies, oils, or vape pens can be classified as illegal drugs. In some states, these products carry harsher penalties than cannabis flower.

Law enforcement officers do enforce these laws, especially in states where cannabis possession remains illegal.

Thinking about buying weed in a legal state and taking it back to your home state? It’s not worth the risk. Buying weed across state lines, even if it’s legally purchased, can trigger serious criminal charges.

Cannabis purchased in Las Vegas can’t legally be taken into other legal states like Arizona or California. The moment you cross the border, you’re illegally transporting marijuana out of state.

Even cannabis-infused products like edibles or tinctures count. If you’re caught with them in a state where cannabis is illegal, it’s treated no differently than other illegal substances.

Many consumers assume hemp-derived cannabinoids are safer to travel with, but that’s not always true.

Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp products containing less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight are federally legal. That includes:

• THCA flower
• Delta-8 THC
• Delta-10 THC
• HHC and other lab-altered cannabinoids

Although they remain federally legal, several states have already banned or restricted the sale and possession of these substances.

• Alaska
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Iowa
• Montana
• New York
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Utah
• Vermont
• Washington

So, can you travel with a weed pen in the U.S. if it’s Delta-8 or THCA? That depends on the local law enforcement agency at your destination. Though marketed as legal, these hemp-derived cannabinoids are still cannabinoids, and may be treated as illegal drugs by federal authorities in stricter states.

For more, check out: Can You Fly With Delta-8 Gummies?

Medical marijuana patients have more protections in some areas, but those don’t apply everywhere.

The question “Is it illegal to cross state lines with medical marijuana?” comes up often, and under federal law, the answer is usually yes. You may be allowed to travel with medical cannabis within your home state if you’re a registered patient. However, once you enter an airport or another state, your patient card may no longer be recognized.

To know where you’re protected, check which states have legal medical cannabis programs and whether they offer out-of-state reciprocity.

Reminder: Marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law, even for medical use. Don’t assume a patient card will protect you at an airport or federal checkpoint.

Whether you’re packing a weed pen, gummy, or whole eighth of flower, knowing the law can help you avoid surprises at the airport or on the road. Traveling with cannabis in 2025 still carries risk, especially if you’re leaving the state or dealing with federal transportation agencies like the TSA.

Even if TSA officers don’t actively search for cannabis, they must report it to authorities if found. That could mean being denied entry, having products confiscated, or being questioned by a law enforcement agency. Check the rules ahead of time, and remember that cannabis legality doesn’t always travel with you.