A CBD seller was yesterday detained and fined at a Florida airport for being in possession of a CBD cream and hemp shampoo, as reported by HempToday.net.
Despite the recent legalisation of hemp in America, hemp business owner and cannabis activist Hana Gabrielova was held at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for three hours after a sniffer dog indicated she was carrying something illicit.
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Sniffer dogs are usually trained to recognise caryophyllene oxide the oxidized form of caryophyllene (or beta-caryophyllene), a terpene commonly present in cannabis (particularly help-type cannabis). The terpene is also found in abundance in cloves, basil, hops, pepper, and rosemary.
Let off lightly
After a sample of her cream and shampoo tested positive for THC, Gabrielova, a Czech citizen and CEO of Czech-based Hempoint, was fined $500.
HempToday reports that U.S. Customs & Border Protection “agents told Gabrielova they were letting her off easy, as the maximum fine for such an offense is $5,000.”
The lotion Gabrielova has was purchased in California while the shampoo was made in the Czech Republic.
Illegal import of THC in shampoo and lotion
Gabrielova told HempToday that she asked the agents to cite the law the fine was based on,” but “they couldn’t do it. They just kept saying THC is an illegal substance to import. So I got fined for the illegal import of THC in shampoo and lotion.”
The test didn’t show how much THC was in the products, only testing positive for its presence.
Gabrielova said it’s “insane” that she was being penalised for using hemp shampoo and CBD-only cream, which she uses for eczema.
“After the signing of the Farm Bill in the U.S. everybody thinks the war on cannabis is over, but it’s not. There’s still a lot of institutional ignorance — and paradox out there,” Gabrielova is quoted.
