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 requires airports to navigate multiple layers of laws and regulations. It 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. TRB hosted a webinar on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM Eastern that provided insight into the legal impacts to airports from the legalization of cannabis by identifying key issues and corresponding legal guidance.
This webinar was based on ACRP Legal Research Digest 49: Legal Impacts to Airports from State Legalization of Cannabis.
This webinar was sponsored by TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program.
The slides are available.
 
Webinar agenda and presenters

• Introduction to state and federal cannabis regulation – Timothy Ravich, Tressler LLP
• Employment-side issues – Emma Moralyan, Dentons
• Overview of research results – Chris Fernando, VHB
• Question and answer session moderated by Amy Rubenstein, Dentons

The first 60 minutes of the webinar were for presentations and the final 30 minutes were reserved for audience questions.
 
Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants can:

• Understand guidance and analysis on the conflict between federal and state laws related to the use of cannabis
• Navigate overlapping laws to maintain compliance, manage risk, and address operational issues that arise from the federal-state divide

 
American Institute of Certified Planners Certification Maintenance Credits
This webinar was approved by the American Planning Association (APA) for 1.5 Certification Maintenance (CM) Credits. CM credits provide continuing education opportunities for AICP Certified Planners to continue their professional skills and knowledge. To receive CM credits, Certified Planners should visit the TRB event webpage on American Planning Association and register their participation. If you have problems reporting your CM credits or have general questions about the CM program, please contact the APA. 
Continuing Education Units for Accredited Airport Executives
The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) provided 1 Continuing Education Units (CEU) to accredited airport executives who attended this webinar. Claim CEUs by visiting www.aaae.org/ceu. For questions about AAAE continuing education units, please contact accreditation@aaae.org.
Continuing Legal Education Credits
TRB offered 1.25 CLE credits for this webinar. TRB did not seek approval for this webinar from the state board. Registered webinar attendees who signed in and viewed the entire webinar received a link to a certificate that they can fill out and provide to the appropriate MCLE Board(s) or Commission(s) within 30 days of activity.