A Texas woman has been banned from Carnival Cruise Line for life after CBD gummies were found in her luggage during boarding.
Melinda Van Veldhuizen, a 42-year-old nurse and chiropractor from Dallas, Texas, had planned to celebrate her 21st wedding anniversary and her son’s senior year in high school on Carnival’s Horizon Cruise in August, but things didn’t go according to plan, she told a local news station WPLG from Miami.
Van Veldhuizen, a frequent cruise passenger, was trying to go through security at the Port of Miami in August when she was stopped by agents after X-rays revealed nail clippers in her suitcase, she said. The Washington Post. While searching her bag, agents found CBD gummies and pulled her aside, according to the outlet.
Van Veldhuizen said The Washington Post and WPLG that the gummies were sealed and she brought them on board to help her sleep, which is what they were advertised to do.
“I have trouble sleeping, so it was just to make sure I could sleep during the trip,” Van Veldhuizen told WPLG, which first reported the story. “I always traveled with them, no problem.”
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She told the news station she was taken to an area away from her family where she was questioned by security and police, and had to wait more than two hours before being told she would not be able to board the cruise.
“The captain asked me several times if I had a marijuana card or if I had a diagnosis, if I needed one. I said, ‘It’s CBD; it doesn’t exist. It’s just not a thing,’ she said, adding that her family also decided not to go on the cruise without her.
Soon after, she received a letter from Carnival saying she was barred from all future cruises with that company. The letter she shared with WPLG i The Washington Poststated, “This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were in violation of the ship’s rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on board, or caused damage to Carnival.”
Daren Stabinski, Van Veldhuizen’s South Florida-based attorney, told the newspaper that the cruise line initially informed her that she would be responsible for the cost of the cruise for her entire family, which totaled about $5,586. However, Carnival eventually offered to reimburse her for the cost of the $1,665 cruise.
Stabinski said his client is seeking an end to the ban, as well as a refund for the rest of her family’s tickets.
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Carnival did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
A Carnival spokesperson told WPLG in a statement, “We are very sorry that this guest and her family are unhappy with the outcome of their vacation plans, but we follow federal law that defines CBD as a controlled substance.”
“We are not here to determine where our guests purchase CBD or what they intend to use it for on one occasion,” the statement said. “It is our responsibility to follow federal guidelines and prevent prohibited items from being brought onto our ships.”
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CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in marijuana that is not “harmful” and can be obtained from hemp or non-hemp plants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2018, the CDC noted that the US Congress passed legislation to remove hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act, legalizing CBD if it comes from hemp.
“They shouldn’t be treating people like criminals because of this,” Stabinski said The Washington Post his client.
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Source: HIS Education