Grandmother Arrested at Disney World for CBD Demands Apology and Hires Lawyer
As we reported last week, a great grandmother was arrested while trying to enter a Walt Disney World theme park for having CBD oil in her possession which she said helped as a pain reliever. Though CBD is legal in most of the 50-states, in Florida it’s usage is a bit of grey area prompting the arrest. Though the grandmother was subsequentially released and charges were dropped, news is surfacing that the great-grandmother has since hired an attorney and is demanding a public apology from the company as well as Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Hester Burkhalter, 69 of Hickory, North Carolina was arrested on April 15th outside of the Magic Kingdom. According to Benjamin Crump a nationally known civil-rights lawyer representing Burkhalter, “She had her small purse, she laid it on the security table, they looked at the contents. She had a bottle of cannabis oil, CBD oil, that was prescribed by her doctor for her chronic arthritis. ” However, initial reports are that she did not have a prescription but rather a note from her daughter recommending the product.
Regarding her arrest and the 12 hours she spent in jail, Crump added that his client was treated “like a common criminal.” Burkhalter was originally charged $2000 for possession before the charges were dropped.
In the arrest report penned by Deputy Vincent Lebron, the officer claims that the CBD oil Burkhalter was carrying tested positive for THC using a Marijuana drug test kit. However, Burkhalter’s attorney’s are dismissing the claim and argued that tests of this nature can often be inaccurate.
Burkhalter maintains her innocence while her lawyers are suggesting that they will sue Walt Disney World and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office if the two organizations do not publicly apologize for the arrest.
So is CBD Oil Illegal at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks?
The official word, as mentioned in our article last week is that it is illegal in Florida to possess CBD oil without an official prescription. Though the government has already decriminalized possession of CBD oil, it has yet to be decriminalized on a state level in Florida. However, this is expected to be signed into law by governor Rick DeSantis as early as July 1st.
If you have a medical marijuana card from your doctor, you can legally have CBD oil in Florida, because Florida’s current laws don’t distinguish between CBD oil and marijuana.You have to have your medical cannabis card, which is issued by the Florida Department of Health and Office of Medical Marijuana use.
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