Airports, while physically located within individual states, operate as instruments of commerce subject to federal jurisdiction as part of the national transportation system. This duality, requiring airports to navigate multiple layers of laws and regulations, is particularly significant in the context of cannabis, where some states have legalized the substance for certain uses while federal law continues to prohibit it.

ACRP Legal Research Digest 49: Legal Impacts to Airports from State Legalization of Cannabis, from TRB's Airport Cooperative Research Program, provides insight into the legal impacts to airports from these and ongoing efforts by certain states to legalize cannabis by identifying key issues and corresponding legal guidance, where available.