Originally Posted by N965VJ

I think spices getting mistaken for drugs is being overblown. A TSA screener might see a container of dried oregano, think they made a Big Catch™, and summon a LEO, as TSA employees have no authority to detain anyone. The LEO will arrive, determine what is really in the container, and probably give the screener for wasting their time.

In short, LEOs and customs agents know what drugs are. TSA employees do not.

We've kicked around the idea of intentionally placing a baggie of oregano to make an example of a screener. I love to cook versus eating out, so if I'm traveling somewhere where I'll have a kitchen or grill available, I'll pack my own spices. It's really not that uncommon if you consider that someone going to spend a week in a condo somewhere will not want to go to the trouble and expense of stocking up at their destination when they have what is needed at home. Also, I like to mix my own blends using freeze dried spices which are harder to find and expensive, and I can also reduce the salt content of a recipe.