Cannabis ‘amnesty box’ pilfered at Chicago airport, police say

Police are searching for an individual suspected of helping themselves to “an unknown object” earlier this week from a locked cannabis “amnesty box” at a Chicago airport.

The box, intended to give travelers a secure option for discarding their marijuana before going through security, had been in place at Chicago Midway International Airport since recreational pot became legal in Illinois on Jan. 1, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Despite Illinois' new law, it remains illegal to transport marijuana across state lines, and that includes via air travel, the newspaper reported.

Around 6 p.m. Monday, however, an unidentified person reached into the box and made a withdrawal, Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Sun-Times in an emailed statement.

“Tampering with them, or attempting to remove anything placed inside, is a crime, and detectives are investigating this matter,” Guglielmi said.

According to WGN-TV, 12 boxes were placed at Chicago O'Hare International Airport and one was placed at Midway, with Chicago police responsible for inventorying the receptacles and disposing of their contents regularly.

Guglielmi told the TV station it's considered a crime to tamper with or attempt to remove anything from the boxes.

"In the meantime, new, permanent theft prevention boxes are expected to replace the temporary ones in the coming weeks, making them more secure and preventing anyone from further accessing materials dropped inside," Guglielmi said in his statement to the Sun-Times.

No suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made.

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