Photo credit: Roxane Gonzales | Dreamstime.com

We here at The Goldwater have been trying to closely cover the tragic story of a 15-year-old boy, honor student, and Cadet hopeful, whose life was put into turmoil due to what amounts to a nearly criminal lack of understanding and education by school administrators and law enforcement officers. Tiffany Young's family has been dealing with the continually increasing stress of waiting to see if her son will be convicted of a felony for possessing 50-state-legal, hemp-based CBD oil. For those of you who don't know, CBD oil, when it is hemp derived, contains only minimal trace amounts of THC and, as such, is not psychoactive. That said, it has proved a Godsend for people with various conditions, among them PTSD and ADD/ADHD which Tiffany's son lives with.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Honor Student Faces Felony For Using CBD for ADD<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/news?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#news</a><a href="https://t.co/PabUkipmFA">https://t.co/PabUkipmFA</a></p>— The Goldwater (@TheGoldWaterUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheGoldWaterUS/status/922512108125700096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2017</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Her son has ADD/ADHD, ODD, and dysgraphia (a learning disability similar to dyslexia that affects the ability to write). After years of being told that Concerta, Ritalin and other amphetamine-related medications were the best or only choice, Tiffany discovered CBD oil. It was a miracle for them and her son, recently relocated from Costa Rica, was able to thrive in the magnet school he was attending. Not only was he making top grades while taking Advanced Placement courses at an accelerated rate, he was able to sleep well, his mood and other behavioral issues were improved. In other words, it was like night and day. Until someone shut off the light again.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CBD being given a class 1 felony charge (same as heroin) is a nightmare for people suffering from epilepsy, and rare neurological disorders</p>— Krumholtz (@mrDaveKrumholtz) <a href="https://twitter.com/mrDaveKrumholtz/status/817432725850296320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2017</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Tiffany's son went from zombified to vibrant when he doffed the doctor-sanctioned speed for a safer, natural alternative for his issues. He was "informed on" however by another student and the <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/10204-Honor-Student-Faces-Felony-For-Using-CBD-for-ADD">administration and law enforcement assumed the worst immediately</a>. Though the CBD oil was perfectly legal to possess and use, law enforcement assumed it was cannabis-based THC oil, possession of which is a felony. So overnight, a boy with no history of legal or behavioral issues is facing a felony that might dash his dreams of using his intellect to serve his country in the U.S. Coast Guard. Possession of drugs and felonies could completely nix any scholarships or grants he might have had available, not to mention making finding a job afterward more difficult, especially in his chosen field.

Since that moment though, the Youngs have not caught a break. Her son was repeatedly called to the office, repeatedly had the police interview him. This exacerbated his PTSD and anxiety issues and since his grades began to suffer. In addition to all this, Mrs. Young was <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/12310-Nightmare-Compounds-Over-CBD-Oil-for-15-year-old-Florida-Honor-Student-and-Family">called in one day and harangued</a> while her son was taken out of school and held overnight in a psychiatric treatment center when the school assumed he may be a harm to himself. Luckily, the doctors who saw him were able to see that he was merely experiencing some serious situational anxiety and was no harm to himself or others and was repeated. A few choice words to one of the officers on hand, however, may have been what prompted a Child Protective Services call.

That's right, a false claim of a felony, Child Protective Services brought in for some non-existent "abuse" issue and a bill for the overnight stay are just some of what is on Young's plate this Holiday Season. Since then, they also outlaid the financial and time cost of getting their son M.M.J. (medical marijuana) certified so that he would be able to keep his medication on him at all times. After being told by administrators at the school initially it would be ok for him to bring it himself, it led to another issue.

From Mrs. Young herself:

<blockquote>I asked if Nate could bring it to the office with Doctors note to be kept in a locked box in the office or if I needed too. The response was okay for him. The oil was in possession of the school when officer confiscated and wrote an addendum to previous. Charges so 2 bottles confiscated 1 charge but two incidents in the report so make it look like he disregarded law enforcement and had it anyway. Not the case.

Other than those changes we are good.</blockquote>

So, as you see, this farce has currently resulted in out of pocket expenses, traumatic stress at the Holidays and a seemingly neverending catalog of new worries and troubles. And all this originally borne out of the misinformed and uncoordinated decisions by uneducated authorities. Currently, the family is putting off bills that need to be paid in hopes they can secure a decent lawyer to fight the case. The overnight stay in the hospital will run over $2,000, so all in all, this comedy of errors is quickly becoming a tragedy of epic proportions.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Florida Honor Student Faces Felony Charge Using CBD For Add<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hemp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hemp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HempCBD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HempCBD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShopCBD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShopCBD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HempOils?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HempOils</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RSHO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RSHO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MJNA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MJNA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlantMedicine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlantMedicine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HempMedicine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HempMedicine</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MyHealthIsBetter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MyHealthIsBetter</a><a href="https://t.co/RoVC9llja3">https://t.co/RoVC9llja3</a> <a href="https://t.co/eXLKmUpLhL">pic.twitter.com/eXLKmUpLhL</a></p>— ShopCBDHempOils (@ShopCBDHempOils) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShopCBDHempOils/status/928278377844412417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<quote>"This is killing our lives all the money and back and forth losing medicine replace to lose again and then pay for the doctor's appointment etc. We have put off 2 car payments to pay for everything well guess what went to go to the store a little bit ago and there was no car in my parking space. Repossessed now I have to come up with another $900 by tomorrow or I lose my car and then we are really screwed."<quote>

After living overseas in Costa Rica, the family has no recent credit history which is further exacerbating the issue.

Somehow, despite all this, the family struggles to remain hopeful, in the spirit of the Holidays.

<quote>I am going to make sure we find some fun and hope during the holidays that's what it's about. No matter what faith anyone is the holidays are a sign of hope.</quote>

The family will have their court date later this week, the 21st of December. As if to further illustrate the massive miscommunications and misconceptions involved in this case from the top down, Tiffany's son is now facing a felony charge of possession of a Schedule 2 drug. Marijuana and anything processed from it (including the THC oil they are trying to claim his CBD was) would be a Schedule 1 substance. Here's hoping that the apparent wealth of misunderstanding can be exposed at trial and this family can begin living their lives again without these clouds of uncertainty and oppression overhead.

Want to help? Check out the family's <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/CBD4health">GoFundMe page</a>.