Skip to content

Great-Grandmother Arrested for Bringing CBD Oil to Disney World

May 08, 2019
3 min read
Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire at Magic Kingdom Park
Great-Grandmother Arrested for Bringing CBD Oil to Disney World
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

There's a long list of things you can't bring into Disney World: weapons, Disney costumes for visitors 14 years of age and older (except during special events), oversize strollers, stroller wagons, loose ice in coolers, alcohol and ... CBD oil. Unfortunately for one great-grandmother, unlike the stroller or loose ice situations, the CBD oil provided her a one-way trip from the Happiest Place on Earth to the local jail.

Disney security entrance (Summer Hull / The Points Guy)

Hester Jordan Burkhalter, a great-grandmother who made the anticipated family trip to Florida from North Carolina, had CBD oil in her bag as she went to enter Disney security, reportedly to help with her arthritis. (And let's be real, if there is anywhere arthritis is going to act up, it's when traversing Florida theme parks.) However, as Fox News reported, the CBD oil was discovered at the Disney security checkpoint.

To enter Walt Disney World, or so much as ride the monorail around the property, you must clear security. This is not just a metal detector type of screening. Security checks at Disney include security personnel searching your bags and belongings -- sometimes very meticulously. I've personally experienced bag screenings to enter Disney parks that, at times, have been at least on par with those to enter the White House for tours. Seriously.

After security personnel discovered the CBD oil, Burkhalter was arrested by the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

In Florida, CBD oil is sold in a wide variety of locations, but if there is THC present in the CBD oil, it may require an active prescription from a physician and a medical marijuana card. While Burkhalter reportedly had a letter about the oil from her physician in North Carolina, that was not sufficient to prevent her arrest when the deputy reportedly identified THC in the oil -- despite her bottle being labeled as 0mg of THC.

Instead of riding It's a Small World, this great-grandmother spent 12 hours in jail until bail was posted, all a result of her CBD oil bust. The prosecutors office has since dropped the charges.

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

As the rules are ever-changing, TPG has put together a guide to traveling with marijuana -- and there's a section in there dedicated to CBD oil, with a full story about traveling with CBD products to come in the near future. At the very least, consider yourself warned about what can happen if you're traveling with CBD oil to Disney World. Read: Don't do it.

Featured image by Ryan Wendler

TPG featured card

4 / 5
Go to review
Rewards rate
1XChoose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee
2XEarn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases
Intro offer
Open Intro bonus
50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status + $300 of Bilt Cash
Annual fee
$495
Regular APR
26.74 - 34.74% variable
Recommended credit
Open Credit score description
Good Credit, Excellent Credit

Pros

  • Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
  • Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
  • $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
  • $200 Bilt Cash annually
  • Priority Pass membership
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

  • Moderate annual fee
  • Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
  • Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
  • Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
  • 2X points on everyday spend
  • $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
  • $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
  • Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
  • Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
  • Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.