A South Florida man has been acquitted by a jury after contending that dozens of marijuana plants he was growing were used for his own medicinal purposes.
The Broward County jury on Monday found 50-year-old Jesse Teplicki of Hollywood not guilty of criminal charges. Teplicki testified that the 46 plants seized by authorities two years ago were not for distribution but for his own use, to fight chronic symptoms related to the eating disorder anorexia.
Teplicki's attorney Michael Minardi says the case was the first of its kind in Florida decided by a jury rather than a judge. Minardi also said the Legislature's plan to debate medical marijuana this year is an indication that more people see medical value in the substance.
Teplicki faced a five-year prison sentence if convicted.
