If you’re planning on smoking marijuana or ingesting marijuana of any kind during your cruise vacation, there’s a lot you should know.
Most importantly, cruise ships operate under federal jurisdiction. While you can legally light a fire in some states — and some countries — it’s illegal to carry marijuana on a cruise ship, so you can’t be high on the high seas.
Does that mean you can’t smoke marijuana on your yacht vacation? Incorrect. It depends on where you are flying.
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Cruise ships visit several states where private marijuana use is legal including Alaska, California, Washington, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York. You may have the opportunity to enjoy on land. But that doesn’t mean you can step out of the train and light up.
Cannabis rules on cruise ships
It’s important to know the rules of cruise ships because breaking the rules carries hefty fines – as some passengers have learned in recent years.
For example, if you smoke on your cabin balcony, it is possible that the passengers on your ship will kick you out. Crews are also trained to detect and report any illegal drugs.
That’s when the fun ends. Under the travel contract you sign to board the cruise, the tour companies have the right to search your room, throw you off the train and hand you over to the local authorities if there are any violations. From there, you could be fined and possibly jailed. Your cruise vacation will come to an abrupt halt.
Cruise lines make it very clear that marijuana in any form is not allowed on board. It doesn’t matter if medical marijuana is allowed in Florida or if you have a medical marijuana card. You cannot bring pots or ephemeris on a cruise ship.
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The new one Virgin Trip For example, the shipping line states that “all illegal drugs, unregulated substances, medically prescribed or synthetic cannabis and CBD products are prohibited.” .” You’ll find something similar on every other cruise line’s website.
At the pier, when you board the ship, you may notice customs or security officials with dogs. Among their duties is to detect drugs in hand luggage. Cruise lines also have the technological means to find drugs in checked baggage, although they don’t openly talk about it.
So what if you “forget” marijuana is illegal on your cruise ship and get caught?
Consider the case of a Pennsylvania woman in 2018 who was found by customs officers with two bags of marijuana in her purse while she boarded the Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas in Bermuda. A subsequent search of her cabin found pipes and other tools and cannabis oil. She was arrested by Bermuda authorities, detained, pleaded guilty to four counts of drug possession, fined $4,000, which she had to pay on the spot, and ultimately sent home – no What is the journey for you? Her plea that she did not realize the items in her bag were not accepted by the authorities.
If you think you can cheat the system, consider that drug trafficking could be one of the offenses of bringing marijuana into international waters.
pot side
Call gateways may have looser rules. For instance, despite the efforts of Femke Halsema, the mayor of Amsterdam, to ban tourists from the city’s famous “coffee shops”, you can still legally light up at café-like establishments This. The menu often features loose grass, pre-rolled joints, marijuana, and some matching dishes, such as muffins, cookies, and macaroons. Some stores have added pre-loaded gelato. Just remember: No takeout is allowed.
As part of a sea or river cruise from Amsterdam, you might consider exploring the scenery on a ganja walking tour. This and similar tours include snacks.
Despite the popular belief that Jamaica is a free country for all, smoking in public is illegal. While violations can result in a fine, it’s usually not much — 500 Jamaican dollars, or about $3.50. To legally explore the scene, you may want to order a cannabis tourwhere you visit a private plantation that grows weeds and sip ganja tea while enjoying ganja cake.
High in Alaska
Alaska has been at the forefront of the movement in the United States to provide places where tourists and locals can socialize.
Marijuana was legalized in Alaska for personal use in 2014. Stores sell locally grown weed (and in some cases suitable food) to adults as young as 21 years old. and more have opened across the state, including at the cruise ports of Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. But the product is restricted to private use, leaving the cruisers out of use.
After a lengthy debate and with strict rules in place, the Alaska Board of Cannabis Control in August 2021 approved two on-site consumption sites. It was one of the first locations nationwide to be approved to serve locals and tourists.
RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Booking Excursions to Alaska
The rule of on-site consumption is that you can purchase raw or edible cannabis products (containing up to 10 mg of THC) for on-site use – in a waiting room, behind a safe or in a separate building .
At Cannabis Corner in the fishing town of Ketchikan, a small living room is equipped with a couch, a fireplace and activities like adult coloring books. One note for cruisers is that the shop is out of town, along the Tongass Expressway, about 10 miles from the downtown cruise ship terminal. That means you have to arrange transportation. However, if you’re at the Ward Cove cruise ship terminal, it’s only about 2 miles away by taxi.
Additional consumer lounges in Alaska are operational, including in Juneau and Fairbanks.
It is still illegal for tourists to take products out of the venue. Alaska law prohibits the consumption of marijuana in public, including while walking down the street or in a city park. If you are caught, you may be fined. It’s also illegal to light up in any US national park – and for most of your Inner Passage in Southeast Alaska, you’re in the national park.
Don’t even try to bring your purchases back to your cruise ship.
cannabis hotel
One way to guarantee a chance to smoke during your cruise vacation is to stay before or after your cruise at a cannabis-friendly hotel, assuming you’re in a port city where marijuana is legal. A Google search will yield results.
For those sailing from Los Angeles, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica has cannabis instructors as part of a deal with Eaze, a leading California marijuana delivery service. Guests can order an in-room menu of hemp and cannabis products.
Cruisers smoking marijuana on cruises in Alaska may want to start or end their cruises in Seattle or Juneau, which also have cannabis-friendly facilities. For instance, the Silverbow Inn in downtown Juneau advertises on its website that guests can visit the nearby Rainforest Farms Cafe and then “relax and have a great night out during your stay.” ” in hotel. The hotel has a rooftop hot tub between the areas where you can enjoy your purchase.
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