( CNN ) -- Pot smokers traveling to Denver to take advantage of Colorado 's new recreational marijuana law are being warned it 's against the rules to carry it through the airport . You wo n't be searched and there are no drug dogs patrolling Denver International Airport , but if you are searched for another reason , you could lose your weed and face a $ 999 administrative fine , Denver International Airport spokeswoman Stacey Stegman told CNN on Monday . On Wednesday , Colorado becomes the first state in the U.S. to license retail sales of marijuana , which could lure visitors from other states to the `` mile high city '' by way of the airport . Airport officials have imposed a zero-tolerance marijuana policy to discourage them , Stegman said . `` We do n't know what to expect , '' she said . `` We hear these stories that there 's going to be more people coming here . We just want to make it clear if people are traveling that they just know the rules . '' Even pot smokers who are dropping Grandma off for a flight are warned to leave their stash at home . `` We do n't think an airport is a place that you need marijuana , '' Stegman said . Airport visitors who get into trouble for fighting , being drunk or another infraction could be searched , but police will not routinely search for marijuana , she said . Officers at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints will not look for marijuana in carry-on bags or travelers ' pockets , but if they find it incidentally , it will be confiscated and airport police would be alerted , according to the TSA 's published policy . `` Law enforcement will determine how to proceed with the passenger who is attempting to transport marijuana -- can include arrest , confiscation of the substance , request to dispose of the substance or allowing passenger to proceed , '' the TSA website says . `` Passengers may be warned that if they are traveling into a state where marijuana remains illegal that they could face further consequences . '' Denver police , who patrol the huge airport , will decide if a ticket will be issued , just as if it were a speeding ticket , Stegman said . An administrative law judge would hear any cases that are contested , she said . `` Signs are going up , but we still have some processes to go through , '' she said . `` Warnings will be issued for a short period of time . '' Colorado cities have authority under the new law to ban marijuana from public property , including municipal airports . While some states are decriminalizing or legalizing pot sales and possession , federal laws against marijuana have not changed . `` We share a space with federal agencies , so we also have to respect their rules and regulations , '' Stegman said . We are trying to make the best of the situation . It is new , and we 're all learning . '' CNN 's Miguel Marquez contributed to this report .
They wo n't look for pot , but they could issue a $ 999 ticket if they incidentally found it . Official : ` ` We just want to make it clear if they are traveling that they just know the rules '' TSA officers at checkpoints do not look for marijuana in bags or pockets . Colorado was the first U.S. state to license retail sales of marijuana .