Cruise Ships Are Reportedly Cracking Down on a Particular Contraband Item
For pretty much as long as cruise vacations have been a thing, people have always tried to sneak contraband items on board. Liquor is usually the biggest offender, because let's face it: they upcharge like crazy for cocktails and drink packages are expensive, but lots of cruisers still want to get their booze on one way or another!
But hard alcohol isn't the only contraband item that cruisers try to smuggle aboard. More and more frequently, cruise lines are dealing with passengers bringing a particular type of contraband with them, forcing companies to start seriously cracking down.
Is anyone truly surprised that cruisers keep trying to smuggle marijuana on board? After all, people take cruise vacations to relax- and that stuff can sure facilitate some serious relaxation! But it isn't just a handful of sneaky stoners plaguing cruise companies these days. As noted in the @todayshow report, the expanding legalization of marijuana has made things thornier for cruise lines and passengers alike.
Even as more and more states continue to legalize medicinal or recreational pot, companies like Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean have had to reaffirm their hard-line stance against bringing marijuana or THC/CBD-containing products aboard. This has led to no end of frustration among cruise passengers, particularly medical marijuana users who depend on the drug to control potentially debilitating issues like chronic pain, anxiety, and PTSD.
But these companies don't enforce these rules for no reason. Regardless of whether or not weed is legal in the area where a cruise launches from, most cruises travel into international waters, and many visit destinations (including most major Caribbean islands) where pot is strictly illegal.
In response to more and more passengers attempting to take their pot on vacation, cruise companies are cracking down harder than ever. Plans for stronger enforcement measures include scanning all bags before they come aboard, requiring security checks among passengers after every stop, and assigning extra staff to be on the lookout for illegal substances. Penalties for being caught with weed on board can include hefty fines and even jail time.
This news will come as a disappointment to many marijuana-using cruisers, especially medical users who aren't keen on finding a pharmaceutical alternative to their treatment just for cruise trips. Unfortunately, until such a time as marijuana gains broader legal acceptance on an international scale, the "high" seas will have to stay a little less high.
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