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Elementary student detained, taken from mother after defending medical marijuana at school

By Marilyn Malara

GARDEN CITY, Kan., April 18 (UPI) -- Kansas has yet to warm up to medical marijuana, mother and cannabis oil activist Shona Banda learned last month.

After her young son defended the use of cannabis during a drug education lesson, school counselors reportedly called state authorities that detained the child and raided Shona's home.

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"They pulled my son out of school at about 1:40 in the afternoon and interrogated him," Banda tells investigative journalist Ben Swann. "I didn't believe you could get a warrant off something a child says in school," she said.

Police obtained a warrant and searched her home, finding 2 ounces of cannabis flower and an ounce of cannabis oil, Washington Post confirms.

The family previously lived in Colorado, where recreational use of marijuana is legal. There, Banda used cannabis oil to successfully treat her Crohn's disease and has since been in support of its use.

The cannabis found in her home could lead to felony charges, but none have been made yet. Banda's son has been taken from her; a new custody hearing is set for Monday.

"[My son and I] did have the talk about how it's not OK to bring this up in Kansas, because it's a different state [than Colorado]," Banda told Swann about how she tried to keep her son from being too vocal. "It's very confusing for a child."

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