A woman has been banned for life by Carnival Cruise Line after CBD gummies were discovered in her suitcase while boarding a cruise ship.
Melinda Van Veldhuizen, 42, was in Miami boarding the Carnival Horizon ship when security pulled her aside, Local 10 News reported.
According to Veldhuizen, who works as a nurse in Dallas, a pair of nail clippers set off the X-ray machine, prompting security to pull her aside.
While searching her bag, they discovered a pack of gummies that contained Cannabidiol (CBD).
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CBD is a substance derived from cannabis and while it has “little-to-no psychoactive properties” according to the Ministry of Health, it has potential therapeutic value.
Veldhuizen, who has been on several cruises and had achieved priority boarding, said she legally purchased the gummies online to help her sleep and has never previously had issues when travelling with them.
Currently, CBD is not illegal in Florida, where the ship was departing, as long as it contains 0.3 per cent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which has mind-altering properties. Veldhuizen’s gummies had 0.1 per cent THC.
However, when security found them at Port Miami, she was taken away from her family and allegedly interrogated by police and security staff for two and a half hours.
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Initially, Veldhuizen thought she had committed a minor error, similar to taking a bottle of water through TSA.
She was then told that the cruise line, like most major…
