DALLAS, TEXAS: Melinda Van Veldhuizen, a chiropractor and nurse practitioner from Dallas, Texas, was banned from Carnival Cruise Line for life following the discovery of CBD gummies in her luggage upon boarding,
The 42-year-old Van Veldhuizen told local Miami TV station WPLG that although she had intended to celebrate her 21st wedding anniversary and her son's senior year in high school on Carnival's Horizon Cruise in August, things did not go according to plan.
Melinda Van Veldhuizen claims she was treated 'like a criminal'
According to The Washington Post, Veldhuizen was stopped by security personnel in August while attempting to pass through the Port of Miami after X-rays revealed nail clippers in her bag.
Cruise passenger Van Veldhuizen claimed she was treated "like a criminal" by police and cruise staff after they found a package of CBD "sleep tight" gummies in her backpack during a summertime search at Port of Miami.
The nurse practitioner from Dallas stated to WPLG and The Washington Post that the CBD gummies were sealed and that she had brought them along to aid with her sleep, as that was their stated purpose.
Van Veldhuizen told WPLG, "I have trouble sleeping, so it was just to make sure I could sleep on the trip. I’ve always traveled with them, no problem."
When a cruise staff member discovered the CBD gummies in Van Veldhuizen's purse, she was transferred to a different area.
She told WPLG that she was then questioned for two and a half hours by police and security for the Carnival.
"The captain asked me several times if I had a marijuana card or if I had a diagnosis, if I needed it. I said, ‘It’s CBD; that doesn’t exist. It’s just not a thing," Van Veldhuizen stated that her family had also decided not to go on vacation without her.
CBD differs from marijuana and does not impair or give 'high'
CBD, a component that is frequently extracted from hemp and does not impair or give a 'high', differs from marijuana, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contains THC, a chemical that alters perception.
Following Congress' removal of hemp—defined as any portion of the cannabis sativa plant containing no more than 0.3% THC—from its list of prohibited narcotics, CBD is now lawful throughout the majority of the country.
Less than 0.01% THC was present in Van Veldhuizen's gummies, as reported by WPLG. Carnival Cruise Lines, however, prohibits the hemp product.
The website states: "While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they are not legal in all the ports we visit and therefore are also considered prohibited items."
Melinda Van Veldhuizen barred from all future Carnival cruises
The mother, who said she had never even received a parking ticket, was prevented from boarding the ship, and her sons and husband expressed a strong desire to not travel to Aruba, Curaçao, and the Dominican Republic without her.
Carnival sent her a letter stating that she would not be allowed to go on any more cruises with the firm.
The letter read, "This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were in violation of ship rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship or caused harm to Carnival," per WPLG and The Washington Post.
According to Van Veldhuizen's lawyer Daren Stabinski, the family spent about $5,586 on their intended vacation, as reported by the Washington Post.
However, Carnival eventually accepted the offer to pay back her $1,665 cruise ticket.
Van Veldhuizen has filed an internal claim with Carnival, but according to the Washington Post, she has engaged Stabinski to help her and threatening to sue if her issue isn't settled "appropriately."
The letter, bearing Captain Rocco Lubrano's signature, declares that she would "not be permitted to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Lines vessel in the future," per the New York Post.
"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," Lubrano added.
"We are very sorry this guest and her family are unhappy with the outcome of their vacation plans, but we are following federal law under which CBD is defined as a controlled substance," a Carnival representative said in a statement to WPLG.
The message went on, "We are not here to ascertain where our guests purchase CBD or what they intend to use it for once onboard."
"Our responsibility is to follow federal guidelines and stop prohibited items from being brought onboard our ships," it added.
