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Medical marijuana

Hannahbenzoe

By Hannahbenzoe,
in Holland America Line

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1ANGELCAT

1ANGELCAT

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Hannahbenzoe said:

We will be on the NA on nov 20 and I was wondering if I can brin g my medical marijuana on board the ship. I use it for insomnia

Not allowed. It’s specifically listed on the list of prohibited items on the FAQ.

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Guest ldtr

Guest ldtr

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, Hannahbenzoe said:

It’s a pill, I do not smoke it

There is no approval for medical Marijuana in any form at the federal level. Cruise ships operate under federal law, as such medical Marijuana is not allowed and would be considered to be an illegal substance, including by US CBP, even if it is legal in the state the cruise departs from.

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FOPMan

FOPMan

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, ldtr said:

There is no approval for medical Marijuana in any form at the federal level. Cruise ships operate under federal law, as such medical Marijuana is not allowed and would be considered to be an illegal substance, including by US CBP, even if it is legal in the state the cruise departs from.

While federal law may apply to ships in US waters, when the cruise ships are in waters of other nations, their laws apply. And many of them (non-US countries) have laws against marijuana. The cruise ships want no part of violating those laws. And since those laws apply to you (the passenger) as well, you’d be subject to whatever local laws apply.

 

Local law enforcement would likely have a very legal basis to search the ship.

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted (edited)
37 minutes ago, ldtr said:

There is no approval for medical Marijuana in any form at the federal level. Cruise ships operate under federal law, as such medical Marijuana is not allowed and would be considered to be an illegal substance, including by US CBP, even if it is legal in the state the cruise departs from.

Actually, for things like illegal drugs, the cruise ships operate under the laws of the flag state, not the US federal government.  The terminals operate under federal jurisdiction.

25 minutes ago, spleenstomper said:

My dispensary had some gummies that are no THC, but CBD and CBN.  Therefore, it is legal to bring on a cruise.  I’ll take a gummy and a unisom.

No, it is not.  Since there is no FDA inspection of CBD products, there is no guarantee that there is no THC, just the manufacturer's claim.  The USCG has had instances where a mariner has used CBD products and tested positive for THC on the DOT drug tests.  And, again, the ship operates under flag state law, and while CBD products are legal in Holland, they must be from government recognized suppliers, who certify the THC content is less than 0.05%.

 

And, even though marijuana is legal in Holland, under maritime law, it is not allowed onboard ships.

Edited by chengkp75
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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, FOPMan said:

While federal law may apply to ships in US waters, when the cruise ships are in waters of other nations, their laws apply. And many of them (non-US countries) have laws against marijuana. The cruise ships want no part of violating those laws. And since those laws apply to you (the passenger) as well, you’d be subject to whatever local laws apply.

 

Local law enforcement would likely have a very legal basis to search the ship.

Actually, when the ship is in US waters, only certain US laws apply.  The basic tenet of maritime law regarding the overlapping of jurisdiction between flag state and port state, is that flag state takes precedence unless the "safety or good order" of the port state are affected.  So, basically, port state (US) laws govern things exterior to the ship (pollution, customs, immigration, commerce and taxation, and crimes against the port state's citizens), all things internal (i.e. drug usage) to the ship are governed by the flag state laws, regardless of where the ship is.  The big thing to remember is that all ships, regardless of flag state, are governed by the various IMO conventions, like the STCW and MLC, which have set up a zero tolerance for drug use onboard ships, which is why all cruise ships prohibit marijuana.

 

When you see local or federal drug enforcement officers boarding a foreign flag cruise ship in a US port, it is at the invitation of the Captain, not because the agency has jurisdiction.

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FOPMan

FOPMan

Posted
Posted

A bit more complicated, actually. Especially where drugs are concerned. For example: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_Drug_Law_Enforcement_Act

 

And , a technical piece to be sure, The Bahamas is flag home to a number of cruise ships, so those ships would legally be subject to search when at home. There is also some reciprocity and joint task forces that come into play.

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Ottawa traveller

Ottawa traveller

Posted
Posted

This is from the FAQs.  Prescription medical marijuana is not allowed on board. Possession of marijuana, even if by prescription, is a violation of US law, may be a violation of the laws of countries the ship may visit, and may result in referral to law enforcement authorities. Prescription Marinol, an alternative to marijuana, is permitted on board.

 

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, FOPMan said:

A bit more complicated, actually. Especially where drugs are concerned. For example: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_Drug_Law_Enforcement_Act

 

And , a technical piece to be sure, The Bahamas is flag home to a number of cruise ships, so those ships would legally be subject to search when at home. There is also some reciprocity and joint task forces that come into play.

Not really that technical, but even this article shows that the Act is questionable in its constitutionality and applicability to international law.  It does specifically state that it only applies to ships of a flag that has "consented or waived objection to enforcement", and not sure what nations this applies to, or whether it can be applied on a case by case basis.  A truly questionable piece of legislation.

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

Staff didn't care whatsoever, in fact, they enjoyed it with us (full disclosure)

And they were risking their employment, as crew are subject to random testing.  Most lines have to test "100% of crew" every 6 months.  A random number generator picks enough crew numbers to equal the required number of tests each week, and the crew are notified to report to medical for testing at the last moment.  While it conducts the right number of tests every 6 months, it does not guarantee that every crew member is tested.  I remember being tested 3 times in one four month tour.  A positive test results in immediate dismissal.

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spleenstomper

spleenstomper

Posted
Posted (edited)
52 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

We didn't bring it onboard, but someone we met did, and we enjoyed it (in the smoking area). It was great!

 

Staff didn't care whatsoever, in fact, they enjoyed it with us (full disclosure) 😁

I haven’t been on a cruise in 4 years, but in the before times all the carnival cruises we went on out of NOLA smelled of weed in every part of the ship.

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DrTee

DrTee

Posted
Posted

I’ve been wondering about hemp-based CBD oil. I use it for a neurological problem. I know that I can’t take it into Canada even though it’s legal even here in Texas, but I was thinking I could buy some when I got to Alaska. Now I’m thinking that may not be possible. I don’t know what I’m going to do because not even strong opiates prescribed by my neurologist help with this pain. 

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AFNavigator

AFNavigator

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Given the severity of possible consequences, especially in a foreign country, why even take a chance?
The whole topic is like asking how many seconds you can safely hold a grenade after you pull the pin.

Does the name Brittney Griner remind anyone of the potential consequences of this action?  Is the benefit of bringing the product onboard worth the potential risk?  What if you have to disembark at a foreign port due to unforeseen reasons and your luggage gets inspected?  It sure seems the better solution is to consult with your physician to find an alternate over the counter or prescription medicine that is legally accepted wherever you are traveling.

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  • 1 year later...
dockman

dockman

Posted
Posted
On 9/3/2022 at 1:57 PM, NavyCruiser said:

Just buy the drink package. 

Max out on all alcoholic drinks.

Insomnia solved. 

What a crazy world...drink yourself silly with a heavily promoted cruise drink package encouraging even more drinking and promoting likely the most abused drug in the world that has caused untold damage, violence, illness and deaths....but don;t dare bring a pill prescribed by your doctor to help you sleep or off to the slammer you may go.

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