New guidance for international travel from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers updated information about traveling with controlled substances like marijuana and cannabinoids.
This report, for instance, warns of the dangers of possessing cannabis-based drugs in certain jurisdictions. In other places, possession can result in delays in traveling, refusal of entry, and in extreme cases, arrests and criminal prosecution.
In the CDC Yellow Book 2026, the new guidelines, released online this week, contain health information on international travel. Two chapters—around substance use and traveling with restricted medications—urge healthcare professionals to “educate international travelers” about “local laws that restrict medications and ensure they have necessary documentation.”
Despite being legal to use medical marijuana, the use of marijuana in flight is still illegal within the U.S.
It is prohibited to carry marijuana, defined as cannabis products containing more than 0.3% delta-9-THC by weight dry on an internal flight. In the United States, however, as early as 2024, travelers can bring products that contain less THC and are approved by FDA in their carry-on bag or checked luggage.
Travelers are advised to confirm ahead of travel whether or not low-THC products will be allowed aboard other forms of transportation, like cruise ships.
The guidance states that it is also important to review the legal status for marijuana or cannabis products that contain less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC before departing.
According to the Yellow Book’s other chapter on restricted medication, travelers should consult their doctor or pharmacist if they are unsure whether a medicine is restricted or prohibited in a foreign country.
However, the report states that even if an item is not controlled by US authorities, it could be illegal in other countries.
CBD is one example. It is not a controlled substance anymore under federal law, but it is still regulated by some states.
Chapter 1 states: “More lenient policies are in place for the U.S. as well international governments regarding the use and possession of CBD (a compound that is found in marijuana plants). However, it’s important to be familiar with local laws before packing CBD-containing items, such as gummies or lotions. CBD is often classified as a herbal supplement. However, CBD is not psychoactive and is controlled by some countries.
CDC also points out that CBD products sometimes contain THC—whether intentionally or through contamination—which, even at trace amounts, can make them illegal.
The advisory states that “even if CBD was legalized in your country, CBD products may still be illegal in other countries if they also contain tetrahydrocannabinol(THC), a compound in cannabis plants and marijuana’s main psychoactive ingredient.”
Some countries like the U.S. determine the legality of CBD products based on their THC concentration.
The CDC admits, “There is no single source where international travelers or travel medicine specialists can find out if a particular medication is restricted or prohibited at a specific destination.”
This document advises travellers and their health care providers to check multiple sources including websites of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), U.S. Embassy in destinations countries, State Department, etc.
“If a traveler’s question is not addressed by the aforementioned websites, the International Pharmaceutical Federation ([email protected]CDC reports that a Dutch-based organization, CDC (which has a database with senior pharmacists), can facilitate communication in some cases by forwarding a traveler’s inquiry to the correct point of contact within the government of the destination country.
Separately a CDC study published in early October evaluated federal data regarding cannabis consumption by thousands of U.S. Adults. The report found that although smoking is still the most popular method to use it, eating, vaping and dabbing methods are gaining popularity.
In 2022, 15,3 percent of adult users reported using marijuana currently, and 7.9 percent said they used it daily. Most users (79.4%) reported using marijuana to smoke, while 41.6% said they ate it, 30.3% vaped, and 14.6% dabbed.
About half of all adults who used marijuana (46.7 percent) reported multiple methods of use—most typically smoking and eating or smoking and vaping.
A separate CDC report last year found a decline in teen use over the past decade, as dozens of states moved to legalize cannabis.
By 2023, only 17 percent of teenagers will report having used marijuana in the previous month. In 2013, this figure was 23 per cent.
The CDC reported that, although youth drug use fluctuated from one survey to the next over the period of 10 years that was covered, overall the trend showed that the use in the past month among high-schoolers has decreased since 2013.
In particular, the rate of male students who used marijuana dropped from 25 per cent in 2013 down to 15 percent by 2023. Over the same time frame, marijuana use among female students decreased from 22% to 19%.
Another earlier analysis from CDC found that rates of current and lifetime cannabis use among high school students have continued to drop amid the legalization movement.
Another recent federal report, published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found that consumption among minors—defined as people 12 to 20 years of age—had fallen slightly in the past year. Despite methodological changes that make comparisons over time difficult, it also suggests that youth use has fallen significantly in the past decade.
At the same time, a review currently being carried out by the World Health Organization may lead to the eventual rescheduling coca leaf, which is the main ingredient in cocaine.
And last year a handful of countries—primarily in Europe—began embracing medical and adult-use marijuana programs.
Ukraine and Slovenia are among those that have expanded access to medicinal marijuana. German and Polish officials have meanwhile moved towards an broader access of cannabis for adults.
A report by the United Nations published in June noted that the legalization of marijuana in the U.S.A. and Canada could have contributed to the shrinkage of the illicit market.
The United Nations’ (UN) Human Rights Department also urged its member nations last year to put less focus on punishing and criminalizing drug users and their activities and to instead concentrate on harm-reduction and public health. It called specifically for the “decriminalization” of drug usage and other related activities.
“The ‘war on drugs’ has resulted in a range of serious human rights violations, as documented by a number of UN human rights experts over the years,” said the statement from UN special rapporteurs, experts and working groups. The statement from UN special rapporteurs, experts and working groups said that “we collectively urge Member States, UN entities and other UN bodies to shift from punishing drug users to supporting them, and to invest in all evidence-based health intervention for those who use drugs.
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