Snail mail. That’s what we now call it but there was a time when that wasn’t so. Going back, way back even before the rotary dial phone that hung on my grandmother’s kitchen wall. In fact origins of the United States Postal Service date back to 1775 when Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first postmaster during the Second Continental Congress. We doubt old Ben Franklin worried about people mailing wax in those days but oh how the times have changed.

Mailing Wax – USPS Policy When It Comes To Delivering Marijuana

The United States Postal Service Policy for delivering dabs, wax, or any form of marijuana can best be described in two words. You can’t. The U.S. government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I narcotic. That puts it in the same category as heroin, LSD, and psychedelic mushrooms.

The interception of illegal mail brings us back to Ben Franklin once more. Shortly after his appointment as the first U.S. postmaster he created the United States Postal Inspection Service. Known as one of the first law enforcement agencies in the United States, the USPIS works closely with postal employees. Together they seize thousands of suspect packages each year.

The Inspection Service employs federal agents who track down senders and recipients of illegal mail. They likewise serve thousands of arrest warrants that lead to prosecution annually. We’re not just talking about weed here. People send dangerous items through the mail and the Inspection Service works hard to prevent that. They are by all accounts an honorable and esteemed agency. Unfortunately, they will take your weed and stick you with federal charges if they can.

The Allure Of Mailing Wax And Smaller Odorless Dabs

We know the direction some thoughts are headed in. Dabs end up about a tenth of the size of the nuggets they come from and don’t stink the way skunk bud does. Wouldn’t that make it easier when it comes to mailing wax?

The Postal Service does provide information on the number of marijuana laden packages seized each year. They don’t report how many of those seizures were wax related. Common sense says that mailing wax would be easier to get away with. This might be true if inspectors concentrated only on size and smell.

The Postal Service runs packages through high tech scanners these days. Mailing wax or any marijuana isn’t as easy as one might think. Seizure numbers of marijuana are very big annually ranging from 34,000 pounds to 47,000 pounds. Those are the numbers from 2012 to 2015. Interestingly, seizures have been on a downward trend though there’s no proof of the legalization movement being the cause.

There is one thing we can tell you for sure. It won’t matter that mailing wax is easier for those that get caught. To make matters worse, the DEA recently added wax, cbd oil, hash, and all forms of marijuana to the Schedule I classification. So what happens if one does get caught? Well let’s get into it.

The Ramifications Of Mailing Wax & Getting Busted

Getting caught by the Feds mailing wax is definitely not a walk in the park. Penalties can be as severe as 5 years in Federal Penitentiary. That’s for less than 50 grams. Mail more than that and the better part of a human life could be spent behind bars. So why are people willing to risk incarceration by mailing wax?

Why Do People Risk Mailing Wax?

The answer sticks out like a sore thumb when you look at volume of mail the U.S, Postal Service deals with. In 2014 they handled 155.4 billion parcels of mail. To put that in perspective they confiscated 7990 packages containing marijuana. You think some got through?

Business for the USPS hasn’t been good. People rarely send letters anymore and the invention of paperless billing had to hurt. Mail volume has been on a steady decline for years while the cost of business keeps increasing. The addition of competition like FedEx and UPS hurt business too, not to mention other delivery services popping up all around like Dart or Zipments.

No doubt the USPS would like to inspect and scan each and every package. The truth is it’s nowhere near possible for them to do this. It’s for this reason that so much marijuana ends up in the mail. The risk seems worth it to many people. They likely tell a different story when handcuffed in the back of a black federal vehicle.

Another Reason People Mail Dabs Through The USPS

Anyone who considers mailing wax has surely looked into other services besides the USPS. They don’t find any breaks there. In fact services like UPS and FedEx make it harder to mail marijuana. Here’s what sets them apart.

The USPS is guaranteed to all United States citizens within the Constitution. Packages mailed using the USPS carry with them the power of the 4th Amendment. Agents cannot by law open any packages without showing probable cause and obtaining a search warrant.

Delivery services the likes of UPS and FedEx aren’t bound by 4th Amendment rights. Their terms state that all packages can be inspected and searched for any reason according to their discretion. Customers must agree to those terms before business ensues. Not to mention these other delivery services also work with law enforcement agencies.

What About Mailing Wax Related Products/Paraphernalia?

There’s nothing illegal about sending vape pens, vaporizers, bongs, or glass pipes through the mail, as long as they haven’t been used. Once traces of marijuana appear on these products they do become paraphernalia and so subject to federal law. Add a cartridge full of cbd oil along with a pen and take the risk, but just send the clean pen and it’s all good.

Now we have companies popping up like iPuff that claim to sell and ship legal low level THC hemp oils. It seems they’re able to mail this stuff but does that mean you should? Sure seems like a ton of risk for a product that doesn’t come close to the real thing. Perhaps there’s an allure for people who want the taste and not the effect. It’s better to avoid getting this product through the mail.

Think Twice Before Mailing Wax

Hey we get it. We all have friends and family that spread out eventually. Many intentions when it comes to mailing wax prove purehearted. Perhaps you have a sick relative that resides in a prohibited state and you just want to ease their pain. Take a trip and go visit them. Maybe love makes the risk one worth taking. We can’t answer that for anyone, but it could end up locked up.

On the other hand, even with the likely continued decriminalization of marijuana there are people who abuse the system. They mail weed for no other purpose than to make an illegal profit by charging much more in states where marijuana is hard to get. They aren’t helping the fight to change federal perception of marijuana which will eventually lead to its acceptance as valid and useful medicine.