Cruise Bruise Blog
May 5, 2009
May 5, 2009
A God Given Right To Medical Marijuana On A Cruise Ship
Before I go into the details of this case, I would like to say that I understand pain. I am a survivor of cancer, having suffered in immeasurable pain for several months before surgery, and then after it.
I had a Morphine drip when I needed it, and push it away, refusing it when I felt I could take something milder. I then took hydrocodone for a short period, and then turned it away, when I felt that over-the-counter pain relievers could make the pain bearable.
Since I have quit taking the over-the-counter pain relievers, I am still in constant pain, but it is bearable. It likely accounts for my periodic grouchiness near the end of the day.
I am anti-drugs of all kinds, and don't take anything, I absolutely don't have to take. I would also like to say that I have a much lower pain threshold than the average person. This I think puts me in a position to understand not only pain, but the effects of pain medication on the mind and the body.
I take exception to a cruise ship passenger claiming that he was "being discriminated against" when he was forbidden to take his marijuana ashore, though he was permitted to use it aboard. I think the cruise ship officers in this case, were more than fair, given my personal opinion is that no passenger for any reason should be smoking marijuana aboard. It is unfair to others aboard.
Neal Plastik says that on February 28, 2009 he boarded the Celebrity Mercury with a doctor's certificate and his prescription medical marijuana. Marijuana is known as "pakalolo" or "crazy tobacco" in Hawaii, where the scene of this incident took place.
Plastik says that at first, all was well, The ship's doctor and security accepted his documentation and he was allowed to discreetly smoke pot aboard the ship. He says he left the ship in Hilo, Hawaii with the pot and returned with it, without major incident, though questions were asked and some conversations took place between him and the ship's security.
Then the ship sailed over to the other side of the island and he was told by ship’s security officer not to take the pot off the ship when he went into the second port. So, he didn't. But, he did stop to talk to the harbor master there and indicated that the harbor master at THAT port did not have a problem with the small amount he had on him.
But, at the third port he decided that he would take the marijuana off the ship anyway, in spite of being told by ship's security not to, because "I found this to be quite ludicrous", Plastik says. This was mistake number one, only if you don't count the real first mistake in my opinion, smoking aboard, which somebody HAD to have smelled.
It would seem that Plastik thought he had some God given right to take his pot wherever he wanted, which included on and off a cruise ship multiple times, in multiple ports, thousands of miles from home.
At La Hinna in Maui, Plastik took his pot into port with him, rented a car, drove it around sightseeing and then came back around supper time to the ship, without returning the rental car. This was mistake number two.
As he went through security, they had him dump his pockets out, and he kept the pot inside them, clearly knowing what he had done was wrong. Security pressed him, and he produced the marijuana hidden in his pocket.
At this point he was refused entry and told to talk to the harbor master. The harbor master cleared him to board and he went about having supper with his family.
At supper Plastik was told he needed to have a meeting and his parents and brother would have to come as well. We all know this is the "why should we not throw you all off the ship meeting". The meeting included Guest relations, the Head of Hotel, the First Officer and Security Officer were there.
He was told that he had violated the rules by taking his pot off the ship and that they did not want him on the ship. While in the meeting, Plastik, suddenly remembering that his rental car had not been returned, decides to exit the meeting before it ends and to exit the ship. This was mistake number three, and as we all know in baseball, three strikes you're out.
At that point, he is told he can not return the ship and he is arrested on the pier. Now, not only is the cruise over for him but he says he is pain, unable to smoke pot to relieve the pain, BUT, he has some Vicodin pain killers on him and asks police to give him two of those, though they only give him one.
He is charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor with bail set at $10,400. His family bails him out and he goes back home. This is not the end of the story. It seems Mr. Plastik is on probation for something, which will require his probation officer to give him permission to fly back to Maui to face the charges.
Plastic has started a web site, CannabisCruises.org, which it seems is centered around raising funds for him to challenge this incident in the courts. The web site title is, "Medical Marijuana Friendly Cruise Lines".
I am not going to go into the right or wrong of medical marijuana. That really is not the issue here. There is one issue in this story that is more important than that.
Mr. Plastik says that he went into port, rented a car, and I have no doubt in my mind that he drove that car under the influence of a combination of both marijuana and Vicodin. He had it on him, he was obviously intent on using both and felt he could not leave the ship without either. From his story, it is clear he uses both throughout the day, and feels he can not be without them.
Vicodin, a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone is a Schedule III drug. The acetaminophen increases the effects of the Hydrocodone. Hydrocodone is in a group of drugs called narcotic pain relievers that have known side effects that include euphoria and drowsiness.
Vicodin comes with a warning, "Do not drive a car, operate machinery, or perform any other potentially dangerous activities". Combining this drug with marijuana would increase the sense of euphoria, that marijuana is known for, as well as the drowsiness, effectively making anyone using both, "Stoned".
While Mr. Plastik believes his case shows how unfairly he was treated, what it really shows is the poor judgement he exercised multiple times. First taking the marijuana off the ship after being told not to, then renting a car, then driving a car under the influence of likely two drugs, then bringing the car back to ship instead of turning it in, finally leaving in the middle of meeting being held to decide if he would be booted off the ship. Poor judgment is also a side effect from consumption of both Vicodin and marijuana. Apparently, Plastik does not see that.
