According to this article, I think that the TSA is concerned with the "cutting devices", guns, and bombs not bongs. That is how a person can carry five pounds of pot, along with the paper work and alerting the police and TSA ahead of time. Not sure if the airlines had a say about it, I  have to go back and read the article or it could be the Juneau Empire article that I read. Now if the lady tried to "smuggle" it then maybe the reaction would be different. 
Following the logic of letting it all "hang out", if you decided to fly naked, alerted the folks ahead of time, called the police and alerted the TSA, you would not have to go through the X-ray machine or take off your shoes. But, I am sure they would still want to check something !