Report Criticizes how USPS is Handling Cannabis Mail
The Michigan-based Newschannel 3 I-Team, which features local news in Michigan put its investigative journalism to the test recently as it uncovered an official U.S. Postal Service audit report, entitled “Packages Suspected of Containing Marijuana,” detailing how the government agency has been dealing with cannabis being shipped across state illegally.
The I-Team utilized the Freedom of Information Act to get access the report, which was previously redacted. The only hint as to why it was redacted in the first place was because of an email sent by the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General division, which stated “We did not post this report due to concerns with information . . . ”
The redacted report is a lengthy file that criticizes how the USPS is approaching the increase in cannabis shipments across state lines, with notes at seven different unnamed post offices. One part of the audit targets allegations against employees handling packages that were suspected of carrying cannabis, “ . . . post office personnel were not always sufficiently trained to provide additional security for packages suspected of containing marijuana,” the report states.
Other criticisms note that there is a genuine lack of security at some of those locations. “The postmaster stated that he holds packages suspected of containing marijuana in his office, which is generally unlocked,” the report continues. “The postmaster also stated he was not aware of any procedures and did not receive training to secure suspected packages containing marijuana.” One inspector noted that a different USPS location store suspected cannabis practices in a room with a door that had a broken lock. “Management was unable to explain why the lock was broken,” said the report.
As long as cannabis is still illegal in some parts of the country, and especially because it’s still federally illegal, the cannabis community understands that cannabis should not be shipped through the mail. However, it also seems like the USPS is in dire need of fine-tuning its process when it comes to investigating a packaged that is suspected to contain cannabis, especially with so many new states legalizing medical or recreational cannabis.
