In yet another case that highlights the chaos over CBD laws throughout the US, a 63-year-old woman was apprehended for carrying CBD oil along with her on a trip to Disney World.
Hester Burkhalter, a great-grandmother, was passing through a checkpoint on her way to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on April 15 when security officials spotted a bottle of CBD oil in her purse. As a result, the cops were called and by the end of the evening, the lady knew that she was in some sort of trouble.
In the aftermath, Burkhalter had to reportedly spend 12 hours in Orange County Jail for possession of hashish — which is a felony — before being released on $2,000 bail.
Nearly a month after the incident, all charges have reportedly been dropped.
In an interview with the media, the 63-year-old said that she was taking CBD oil for severe arthritis pain in her arms, shoulders and legs.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the bottle of CBD oil Burkhalter was arrested with was marked as containing zero THC (the psychoactive compound in cannabis). However, the police claim otherwise; they tested the oil and it returned positive for THC.
The confusion around CBD
The exact reason why Burkhalter was initially charged with felony-level possession of hashish for simple CBD oil is not yet clear.
CBD products can easily be purchased from many parts of Florida, yet it tends to fall in somewhat of a legal gray area in the state.
Even after the passage of the Farm Bill 2018, which removed hemp from the list of Schedule I illegal drugs and legalized the interstate commerce of the same, many people across the nation continue facing criminal charges for possessing cannabidiol.
Notably, similar incidents have been reported occurring at the Dallas-Forth Worth Airport in Texas. Just the last month, a number of passengers were detained at the airport and in some cases arrested for carrying the ‘non-harmful’ CBD in their luggage.
