Pubdate: Thu, 05 Dec 2013 Source: Westword (Denver, CO) Copyright: 2013 Village Voice Media Contact: http://www.westword.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters Website: http://www.westword.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1616 Author: William Breathes CAN I FLY WITH POT? Dear Stoner: Can I fly out of DIA with pot? Headed Home for the Holidays Dear Head: We've covered this a few times, but it's worth reviewing again before January. The short answer is: Yes, but only sort of. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration agents at security checkpoints are not looking for cannabis (or any other drugs). Since the TSA isn't technically law enforcement, if agents do find something suspiciously green and skunky, they'll refer it to a local law enforcement authority. In Denver, that means the ounce of herb you've got in your carry-on at DIA is legal if you're 21 or older. You can then fly to other states where cannabis possession is legal, because, again, TSA would defer to local authorites. Right now that makes Washington a prime destination - but MMJ patients can also fly to states that allow for reciprocity of marijuana recommendations, such as Michigan, Arizona and Connecticut. Trust us: It happens all the time. The caveat is that cannabis is still illegal federally, and there is a small risk of federal air marshals catching you transporting pot across state lines - which could be worth a few years in the slammer with the right judge. Dear Stoner: I drink, but I've never tried pot. Should I try it? Would I like it better? Ivonne at the Irish Rover Dear Ivonne: In some ways, it is not unlike a small alcohol buzz in that your body and mind relax a little. Your brain will likely run wild, along with your mouth. (First-timers tend to get chatty, mostly because of the increased awareness of how awesome everything around them has just become.) But one of cannabis's advantages is that you avoid the increasingly heavy, blurry, sloshy effects that come with drinking. You can also say goodbye to hangovers and the extra pounds from all of the sugar you're consuming. Another advantage maybe the best? - is no more sloppy drunk sex. In fact, the right strain of cannabis can be an aphrodisiac of sorts. An uplifting, speedy but euphoric Super Silver Haze, Durban Poison or Jack Flash can increase blood flow and heart rate, heighten feelings of relaxation and pleasure, and make you more sensitive to outside stimuli that mimic your body's natural rhythms and changes when you get aroused. Alcohol numbs all of those things. Sex on cannabis is like riding on the back of a gilded unicorn through space and time while tiny molecules of awesome massage your brain and your nether regions. And who doesn't like riding unicorns? - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom