Charges have been dropped against an injured Iraq war veteran who was arrested after being accused of growing medical marijuana.Mathew Young was charged with cultivation after Pasco County deputies said they found plants in his home.Young said a Jacksonville attorney gave him paperwork and false information that using medical marijuana was allowed."I really to this day don't believe I did anything wrong," Young said.He said the cannabis gave him relief from a slew of medical problems he's had since returning from combat."It wasn't until I tried cannabis that everything turned around," Young said. "I could start functioning and start having a day.

George Hackney stands in the growing field of his business, Hackney Nursery. He is is trying to become northwest Florida's sole, state-approved provider of Charlotte's Web, a low THC strand of marijuana used to treat children who suffer from seizures.

Hackney Nursery, known for growing the famous hedges surrounding the Georgia Bulldogs’ Sanford Stadium in Athens, is now looking to add diversity to its growing selections.

This weed isn’t meant to get people high. In fact, you can’t even smoke the medicinal marijuana the Quincy-based grower will develop. On July 8, Hackney submitted an application to cultivate, process and distribute non-euphoric cannabis in the northwest region in Florida.

Even before selecting five nurseries to become Florida's first legal pot producers, Department of Health officials will face a challenge from at least one grower whose application was tossed out because it was late.

The department's Office of Compassionate Use staff rejected two of the 30 applications from nurseries hoping to get chosen as one of the five coveted "dispensing organizations." Both were tossed because they were received after a 5 p.m. deadline following a frenzied scene during a torrential downpour July 8 at the agency's headquarters.

Both nurseries say their representatives were told by Department of Health workers that the 5 p.m. deadline didn't apply.

There's a growing push to smoke out old possession laws all across South Florida. Miami-Dade County was the first to propose just ticketing people who have pot and next week commissioners will vote on the measure.

"I think the whole idea of just arresting or giving any type of reprimand for possession of something that grows from the earth is B.S.," said Leonard Mack, 31, who studies law at Barry University. He knows about the issue first-hand. His criminal record is stained with one count of possession of cannabis.

"It was in my car on the passenger seat and even though I have participated in the use of cannabis, that particular night, that didn't belong to me, that belonged to a friend of mine," Mack said.

BOCA RATON, FL--(Marketwired - July 24, 2015) -Dawson James Securities, Inc. in conjunction with Vapor Corp. (NASDAQ: VPCO), a leading U.S.-based distributor and retailer of vaporizers, e-liquids, e-cigarettes and e-hookahs, announced today the closing of a "best efforts" follow-on offering of up to 3,800,000 Units at $11.00 per Unit for a maximum gross proceeds of $41.8 million. Each unit consists of one-fourth of a share of Series A convertible preferred stock and 20 Series A warrants. Each share of Series A preferred stock will be convertible into 10 shares of common stock and each Series A warrant will be exercisable into one share of common stock at an initial exercise price of $1.24 per share. The Unit will remain "locked" for 6 months unless certain stipulations are met.

Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana sent 100,000 petitions to county elections supervisors this week, one of the first steps in getting the proposal before voters next year.

It’s the second shot for United for Care, the committee behind the petition drive, to get the proposal on the ballot. A similar plan received 58 percent of the vote in November, just shy of the 60 percent required for passage.

USTIS – After 41 years of cultivating lush, indoor tropical plants, the owners of Treadwell Nursery hope to make a dramatic turn to a new crop.

They now want to grow medical marijuana.

Glen and Sharon Treadwell and their three adult daughters appear to be what some lawmakers said they had in mind when they wrote the state's limited medical-marijuana law. The goal was to have old-Florida growers establish the industry.

"My sister Julie likes to say, 'If you'd have asked me if there would be aliens or if mom and dad would have considered growing cannabis, I would have bet on the aliens,'" said Jammie Treadwell of her religiously conservative parents.

Last November, 58 percent of Florida voters supported Amendment 2, which would have made medical marijuana legal in Florida. Even though the majority of voters were in favor of the amendment, it wasn't enough to pass. The vote was just two points shy of the 60 percent threshold.

But the loss didn't dissuade United For Care, the group behind the push. In January, the group submitted a new constitutional amendment. They spent the last seven months gathering petition signatures. Today, Ben Pollara, the group's campaign manager, announced that the group is sending 100,000 (almost 30,000 more than necessary) signatures to the Supreme Court to review the language. 

MIAMI -

A former Miami-Dade police detective has become the 21st person sent to prison in the federal takedown of a major marijuana trafficking organization.

A federal judge Tuesday sentenced Roderick Silva, 46, to three years behind bars after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting a conspiracy with the intent to distribute marijuana.

Under a plea agreement, Silva admitted tipping off members of the Santiesteban gang about impending police raids, how to avoid police and locations of rival gang marijuana grow houses in exchange for cash.

Most members of the gang are serving lengthy prison sentences. Ringleader Derrick Santiesteban was sentenced to life behind bars.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Patricia Nelson has left her post as director of the state's Office of Compassionate Use, which has been at the center of a long-running fight over a non-euphoric strain of marijuana.

Nelson has served as director of the office since December, after serving for nearly four years in Gov. Rick Scott’s office as deputy director of the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform.

“Patricia Nelson will be rejoining the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget,” said Mara Burger, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health, confirming the departure. “The Florida Department of Health is grateful for her service and wishes her well in her new position.”