Medical marijuana is legal in Florida, but a major airport will ban it anyway

Aviation authorities voted Wednesday to ban medical marijuana at the Orlando International Airport.

This vote comes just after roughly 71 percent of Florida voters decided last November to legalize medical marijuana for the state.

WFTV reported that the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority’s policy sought to “to clarify that, despite the Florida constitutional amendment legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes and the decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of marijuana by the City of Orlando, marijuana is prohibited from being brought onto airport property.”

Customers were warned that marijuana, medical or not, would be confiscated if found on airport property.

The airport reportedly receives 42 million visitors each year, according to WFTV. And in 2016, more than 113 million tourists visited Orlando, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The city is home to various Disney theme parks, Universal Studios and other tourist attractions.

An aviation authority representative said the decision was made because a legal team was concerned federal funding to the airport could be jeopardized if marijuana was allowed, WFTV reported.

A Transportation Security Administration representative told WFTV that agents don’t actively look for marijuana; however, if agents do find it, they’ll notify local law enforcement.

Even though the decision was made, there aren’t clear guidelines on how to enforce the ban and what a penalty would be, WESH 2 News reported.

Orlando police also told WESH 2 News that no person legally authorized to carry medical marijuana would be arrested for carrying it in the airport.

This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Medical marijuana is legal in Florida, but a major airport will ban it anyway."