We’re back after a week in Maine visiting family. It was a good visit, and I’m glad we went, but I’m thrilled to be home. Our cat, Riley, had lots to say upon our arrival. Dale calls it the Kittysburg Address.
This might be the terpenes talking, but I’ve started to think of cannabis as medicine, and it was rough traveling without my meds. Possessing cannabis in any form within U.S. airports or on commercial aircraft falls under federal jurisdiction. That means it’s illegal to pack it in carry-on or checked bags.
I don’t like the feds messing with my meds! If there’s criminal intent here, it’s on the part of the federal government for failing to acknowledge the powerful therapeutic value of cannabis. No laws against traveling with opioids, right?
Presumably, lots of people risk traveling with cannabis, but that’s not how I roll. Why, yes, I watch Orange is the New Black, and that’s as close as I want to get to women’s prison. Dale and I had a lengthy discussion about what dogs can smell. Can they detect an unopened cannabis oil cartridge? My sister-in-law said dogs are focused on explosives and don’t bother with cannabis anymore. I do not want to be the one to test her theory.
Although I do vape cannabis recreationally from time to time or take a couple of hits off the occasional joint, I principally use three types of cannabis products to treat different conditions:
- Wellness – One daily dropperful of homemade alcohol-based cannabis tincture stirred into a small glass of juice reduces anxiety, lifts my mood and just makes me feel better overall.
- Sleep – I buy cartridges of Granddaddy Purple concentrate. The cartridge screws onto a vape pen, and a couple of hits off the vape pen helps me sleep through the night. I also like Kiva chocolate-covered blueberries and Kikoko tea. I gifted Tranquili-Tea to my neighbor, who has serious medical issues but is wary of cannabis, and she LOVES it.
- Pain – In addition to post-mastectomy pain, I have a lot of age-related creaky body parts. I apply homemade cannabis balm twice a day. A week without it, and my mastectomy scars started burning and sciatica returned.
I am careful to microdose and do not get high from the tincture or the concentrate. Topical balms have no psychotropic effect. If they did, I would be super sloppy stoned, because I use balm liberally on my mastectomy scars, knees, elbows and spine.
Traveling without these products was a bummer. I missed my tincture the most. I think of it as a vitamin but better. A little tincture makes me feel like a happier, better version of myself. I was explaining the concept of microdosing to someone, and I said you want just enough so you begin to feel the crack of a smile on your face.
For older adults who are interested in cannabis as medicine, I highly recommend starting with tincture. Some tincture is made with glycerin, and you can put a few drops under your tongue. I made mine with alcohol, because the shelf life is basically forever, but it burns when applied sublingually. That’s why I add it to juice.
I gave serious thought to putting a small bottle of tincture in my checked bag but decided it wasn’t worth the risk. As I unpacked when we got home, I found a love letter from TSA stating they searched my bag. Maybe they knew I thought about it! Anyway, I don’t know if it’s a manual search or if they use dogs or if they even care whether you have cannabis, but I was glad I erred on the side of caution.
Thanks for this post. I’ve gone back and forth about leaving my CBD/THC cream at home when we head out for Europe soon. Like you, I’m worried about what the dogs with their super sniffers can smell so I’ll leave it at home. Not legal in my state, but they’ve yet to send the dogs door-to-door.
No, we don’t want the dogs going door-to-door! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Super funny Donna, but a real concern. I get nervous whenever the beagles at SFO come for me. They sniff my bag like crazy.
After several SFO arrivals, I found out that the dog sniffing just means your bags are full of food goodies. They alert for marijuana by sitting down next to your bag.