Picture this — a traveler headed to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas to catch a flight out of town reaches into his pocket or her purse to find some change, but instead finds a pre-roll and what is left of a bag of marijuana.
What happens next? Likely a minor panic and a lot of fumbling around, while looking for a discreet way to dispose of the remnants.
But that mini-panic isn’t necessary, as travelers can now use green containers, called “amnesty boxes,” installed at terminal entrances all around McCarran Airport. The 10 containers are clearly labeled, “Disposal for Prescription and Recreational Drugs,” and are meant to help tourists stay safe and legal as they embark on their travel out of Las Vegas and onward to their ultimate destinations.
These bins are fastened securely to the ground and marijuana can only be inserted into them, not removed. For all practical purposes, they are completely secure and fool-proof. Currently, a contractor empties the bins many times per week, on an as-needed basis.
These amnesty boxes were installed at the beginning of February in response to the county ban on marijuana possession and advertising at the airport, with the goal of keeping McCarran in full compliance with federal law.
Purchase and possession of up to an ounce of marijuana is recreationally legal in the state of Nevada for those 21 or older, but it is still federally illegal and cannot be “trafficked” from state to state via any airport.
Considering McCarran receives about 49 million passengers per year, these bins are a smart method of working around an otherwise complicated federal law. And although there is a ban on consuming marijuana anywhere in public, which includes the famous, “Vegas Strip,” many tourists will be caught, last minute, at the airport with nowhere to properly dispose of their marijuana goodies.
The Clark County Department of Aviation plans to install 20 amnesty bins at McCarran, as well as a number of smaller airports in the area and various department owned and operated properties. At this point, there are also three bins set up at car rental locations in the surrounding areas.
