Grandmother to Sue Disney Corp. After She Was Detained for CBD Oil
She says the oil was prescribed by her doctor and does not contain THC.
A great-grandmother plans to sue Walt Disney Corp. and the Orange County (FL) Sheriff's Office after she was arrested and detained for CBD oil found in her purse, which she says was prescribed by her doctor.
Orlando television station WESH reports that Hester Burkhalter, age 69, was arrested April 15 for having oil that was labeled "Select CBD" in her purse.
Burkhalter says the oil is used to treat arthritis, and did not contain THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Burkhalter's attorneys say she was detained for 12 hours, and endured "illegal detention, false arrest and a violation of her civil rights when she tried to enter Disney World with her family."
CBD, which is derived from the hemp plant, is used to treat seizures, pain, anxiety and other ailments, but is not regulated by the FDA. The federal government decriminalized the substance, but according to WESH, in Florida it's a controlled substance.
Burkhalter says she was made to feel like a criminal.
"There's not words that I can say, in the way I feel that I have been treated. I can't, you know, I just feel like I haven't done anything wrong," she said in an interview with NBC News.