- The Washington Times - Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Flights at Bellingham International Airport in Washington state were delayed recently when luggage screeners stumbled upon a marijuana grinder that was initially mistaken for a hand grenade.

A man was preparing to board an afternoon flight last week when Transportation Security Administration officials spotted the device inside his luggage.

Screening and boarding areas at the airport were briefly evacuated, and four departing flights were delayed while security officials investigated the device, Bellingham International spokeswoman Marie Duckworth told The Associated Press.

“A suspicious device has been found at BLI. Out of an abundance of caution, experts are examining the situation,” the Port of Bellingham tweeted Saturday afternoon.

Local officials and the FBI were both made aware of the device, and the Bellingham Police Department’s bomb squad eventually determined they weren’t dealing with a grenade, but rather a portable grinder used to break up pieces of pot.

“The checkpoint has been cleared of a ’grenade lookalike’ pot grinder,” the Port of Bellingham said in a followup tweet. “If it looks like a weapon or explosive, don’t bring it to the airport!”

Ms. Dankers said the passenger who owned the grinder was released and allowed to board the flight.

It was not immediately clear if authorities discovered any marijuana inside the grenade-shaped grinder. Recreational and medicinal marijuana are both legal in Washington state, but federal authorities still consider it a Schedule 1 narcotic on par with heroin.

“In the event a substance that appears to be marijuana is observed during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer,” the TSA explained on its website.

• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.

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