Mum given life time ban by cruise line for taking on board CBD sleep aid lollies
A mum has been banned for life from travelling with a cruise company after taking on board CBD gummies to help her sleep.
Melinda van Veldhuizen, 42, from Texas, said she was treated like a “criminal” by Carnival Cruise Line staff and police when the bag of sweets which are used to aid sleep.
She was planning to go on a cruise with her family last August to celebrate her son’s senior year and her 21st wedding anniversary. But the CBD gummies were found during a routine baggage search at PortMiami.
The nurse, from Dallas, said how she used the gummies to help her sleep and claimed she would normally travel with them without any problem. She is a regular traveller on cruise ships but now has been banned by the Carnival Cruise line.
She was found to have CBD gummies in her luggage (Local10)After the gummies were found she was taken to a separate area and interrogated by security and police for two hours, she told WPLG. When she was not allowed to board the ship, her husband and children also decided against going on the cruise that would have taken in Aruba, Curacao and the Dominican Republic.
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“I have trouble sleeping, so it was just to make sure I could sleep on the trip - so if there were any issues, I could sleep. I’ve always travelled with them, no problem," Ms Van Veldhuizen said. "To me, it seems like an extreme measure. The captain finally came down and the man said based on the weight of your gummies you won't be able to board."
Ms Van Veldhuizen was given a letter to confirm that she would be removed from the ship and “not be permitted to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Lines vessel” in the future. It was stated that this was because she had attempted to bring the CBD gummies on board.
The letter was signed by the ship’s captain Rocco Lubrano who also stated: “This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship or caused harm to Carnival.”
Ms Van Veldhuizen said that she thought at the very most it would have been a case of taking the gummies off her and then letting her board. “I thought it was one of those situations where you’re like, ‘Oh shoot, I left a bottle of water in my backpack; you got to throw it away,’ kind of thing like that happens at TSA,” Ms Van Veldhuizen told the local news station, of what may happen at airport security.
The family spent around $5,586 (£4,483) on the trip and is now threatening legal action if the situation is not resolved “appropriately”, reported the Washington Post. The family lawyer Daren Stabinski reportedly said: “Out of all the cases I take, this one was just specifically outrageous.”
A Carnival Cruise Lines spokesperson told WPLG there are messages about marijuana and related prohibited items pre-cruise and on its website. It lists CBD as against the rules and claims it’s banned at multiple ports that they depart from.
CBD is an extract of the hemp plant - which is a non-intoxicating breed of cannabis. Manufacturers of CBD gummies claim that the candies are effective at relieving anxiety, depression, pain, inflammation and can help improve sleep. The Mirror has contacted Carnival Cruise Lines for comment.
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