The moment that changed me happened in our office in Central Florida. I remember one Veteran who stayed behind after his evaluation, sitting on the couch in the lobby.  He talked about the years he’d spent trying to manage pain and PTSD with whatever prescriptions were handed his way. What surprised him that day wasn’t the assistance with paperwork or the registration process; it was the simple fact that someone was willing to guide him through it without asking for anything in return. He talked about never feeling judged, and feeling heard for the first time, and that someone truly cared about his well-being. It was the bill he didn’t have to pay that day. The look in his eyes that said, “Why are these people being so nice to me?” is absolutely priceless, and I wish more people would get involved to experience this overwhelming sense of appreciation.

He told me he’d been saving for weeks and that he’d been putting off getting certified for months because money was tight. The bills had lined up, and whatever was left at the end of each pay period was already spoken for. By the time he came to see me, he was down to less than thirty dollars in his checking account, and the idea of adding another expense just wasn’t possible. The cost of the appointment would have wiped him out completely.

When he realized it was covered, no charge, no catch, no “veteran discount” marketing gimmick, his whole body loosened. That was the day I understood how deep this problem runs. Access isn’t just about medicine. For many veterans, it’s about dignity, survival, and the basic ability to breathe without choosing which bill won’t get paid this month.

I’ve helped more than 8,000 people navigate medical cannabis in Florida. Of those, 900+ were veterans who received their certifications entirely free. Every one of those stories has shaped the way I see this work, and every one has made it impossible to pretend the system isn’t failing them.

What 900 Conversations Reveal About the System

After spending years in exam rooms and waiting areas with veterans, you start to notice the parallels. Different branches, different deployments, different decades, but the emotional through-lines show up again and again in the pauses, the way they brace themselves before speaking, the way exhaustion settles into a person over time.

There’s the Marine who hasn’t slept more than two hours in a stretch since 2007. The Army medic who carries pain in his back the way other people carry keys. The Air Force vet who can’t stand fireworks anymore but pretends for his kids. And the countless people who were given opioids for free, month after month, while being told cannabis was too “risky” or “unproven.”

The stories differ, but the obstacles don’t. The most common barrier is money.

State programs cost anywhere from $150 to more than $400 a year once you add up doctor visits and required fees. That’s a number plenty of people can absorb. But not someone living on disability income. Not someone who is one missed paycheck away from sleeping in their car. Not someone whose PTSD has cost them jobs, relationships, and a sense of normalcy the rest of us take for granted.

Roughly one in four people who don’t have housing are veterans. And their suicide rate is more than two times higher than that of others. Those facts alone should make financial barriers a national priority.

But they’re not. And that means the pressure ends up on the people who are already dealing with more than most of us realize.

What Veterans Have Taught Me About Relief

A lot of people assume this work is one-directional, that I’m the one helping them. The truth is, the lessons run both ways.

I’ve met veterans who walked into my office so tense they shook through the whole appointment, then sat in their car for an hour afterward because they didn’t want to be around people. I’ve met others who spent years white-knuckling their way through trauma because they didn’t want to become another statistic in a system they felt abandoned by.

And I’ve seen what happens when cannabis gives them the first moment of quiet they’ve felt in years. Not a miracle cure. Not a magic fix. Just enough relief to let them sleep through the night. Enough clarity to show up for their families. Enough calm to imagine a future that isn’t shaped entirely by the past.

People talk about “supporting veterans” like it’s a slogan. But when you’ve witnessed how hard they fight just to get their head above water, you understand why the phrase needs to be more than something printed on a discount flyer every November.

Why Cost Should Never Decide Who Gets Help

I think about that first Veteran in the lobby a lot. And the many since who’ve told me things like:

“I feel human again.”
“It saved my marriage.”
“My family sees and feels the positive change.”
“I can finally sit through a movie with my kids.”
“I’m not waking up in panic every night.”
“I’m sleeping through the night for the first time in years.”
“I‘m completely off all prescriptions the VA was sending me to HELP?”

These aren’t big or unrealistic goals. They’re basic human needs. And the idea that someone has to choose between that relief and paying a light bill is something no one should be comfortable with.

If our country is going to ask people to serve, we owe them more than appreciation posts and holiday promotions. We owe them a healthcare pathway that doesn’t feel like another gauntlet to survive. And until cannabis receives the federal recognition it deserves, we need people inside the system willing to remove the barriers that shouldn’t exist in the first place.

This is where nonprofits play a crucial role: filling the gap when essential care is out of reach. For veterans in Florida, that means eliminating the cost of accessing medical cannabis so they aren’t shut out of the program meant to support them. And the truth is, no one should have to build a nonprofit to fix something this straightforward. But until policy catches up, we fill the gaps where we can.

Where We Go From Here

After 900+ free certifications and thousands of conversations, my beliefs are pretty simple:

No veteran should ever have to pay for access to medical cannabis.
Not for the appointment.
Not for the paperwork.
Not for the State fee.
NOT EVEN their Medicine!

They’ve already paid more than enough through their service, their sacrifices, and the years many have spent trying to rebuild themselves afterward.

I don’t pretend cannabis solves everything. But I’ve seen what happens when veterans finally get legal access without the fear of financial cost. It’s calmer nights. More stability. Less reliance on medications that can dull more than they help. For some folks, it’s the first moment they feel anything is finally helping.

Real change happens when more people in this industry decide that helping veterans isn’t a marketing angle. It’s a responsibility.

They’ve already paid the price of service. The least we can do is stop making relief another thing they have to earn.

This article is from an external, unpaid contributor. It does not represent High Times’ reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration diverted more than $35 million in taxpayer funds that investigators say were used to influence last year’s ballot fights over abortion and recreational cannabis, according to a months-long investigation by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times.

The money, originally allocated for healthcare, child welfare and opioid recovery programs, was instead used to pay for political consultants, legal services and a sweeping advertising campaign that made exaggerated or misleading claims about marijuana. The ads aired across television, radio and social media in the weeks leading up to the 2024 election, while avoiding any direct mention of Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment that would have legalized adult-use cannabis in Florida.

Amendment 3 ultimately received roughly 57% of the vote, falling just short of the 60% threshold required to pass. A parallel abortion rights measure, Amendment 4, failed under the same rule.

The investigation found that at least $36.2 million in public funds was tapped by the DeSantis administration, with approximately 79% of that money coming from healthcare-related sources. Reporters traced the spending through Florida’s budgeting and payment systems, reviewing thousands of pages of emails, vendor records and state transactions.

Among the largest sources: $1.1 million from the Department of Children and Families’ child protection program, $4 million from Florida’s opioid settlement trust fund and nearly $1 million from the Department of Health’s community public health promotion budget. The opioid settlement money had been earmarked to support communities disproportionately affected by substance misuse.

Another $10 million stemmed from a Medicaid settlement with healthcare contractor Centene. As previously reported, that money was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit founded by First Lady Casey DeSantis, before $8.5 million was routed to a political committee controlled by the governor’s then–chief of staff, James Uthmeier. That transaction is currently the subject of a grand jury investigation. No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the spending as of publication.

Earlier drafts of the Centene settlement did not include Hope Florida as a recipient. The foundation was added less than two weeks after President Donald Trump endorsed the cannabis amendment and shortly before mail-in ballots were sent to voters.

State officials described the ad blitz as a series of “public service announcements.” But emails and vendor records reviewed by the Herald and Times indicate the effort was designed to influence the outcome of the election, targeting higher-propensity voters and ramping up precisely as early voting began.

The ads themselves included claims that cannabis is “often tied to domestic abuse,” that teen marijuana use increases the risk of psychotic disorders by more than 1,000%, and that “if your THC level isn’t zero, you’re not safe to drive.” Most of the ads offered no citations. Some featured federal highway safety branding, prompting concern from officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about whether the messaging crossed into political advocacy.

Madeline Meier, an associate professor of psychology at Arizona State University who studies cannabis harms, told the Herald and Times that while heavy use can raise risks for certain high-risk individuals, the ads’ claims could not be evaluated without supporting evidence.

Several experts and former officials said the spending, at minimum, pushed the boundaries of state law. Kenneth Goodman, professor emeritus of medical ethics at the University of Miami, said the campaign amounted to “undermining the will of voters by diverting resources intended for a vulnerable population.” He added: “This is corruption at the expense of children.”

Republican state Sen. Rick Scott’s office called the allegations “deeply concerning,” while Rep. Alex Andrade, a Republican who oversees Florida’s healthcare budget in the House, said the spending appeared to be “a misappropriation of funds” and accused top officials of violating procurement laws.

The administration routed much of the advertising through Strategic Digital Services, a consulting firm that has worked with Florida state agencies as well as Republican candidates and committees. Invoices show that multiple agencies entered contracts with the firm within days of one another, collectively paying at least $16.4 million.

Because broadcasters did not classify the ads as political, the state received discounted airtime. According to data reviewed by the Herald and Times, state agencies spent at least $3.1 million opposing the cannabis amendment on broadcast television alone, not including digital placements or production costs.

In court, the state successfully argued that the ads did not violate Florida’s election code because they did not explicitly reference Amendment 3. That ruling is currently on appeal.

The controversy has already prompted legislative changes. Earlier this year, Florida lawmakers passed a provision banning state agencies from spending public funds to oppose or support future ballot initiatives, even under the guise of distributing “factual information.”

Meanwhile, cannabis advocates are preparing for another run. Smart & Safe Florida, backed again by medical marijuana operator Trulieve, is working to place recreational legalization back on the ballot.

DeSantis has acknowledged that a majority of voters supported both failed amendments. Still, he has taken credit for defeating them. “We dug in,” he said last fall. “We barnstormed the state.”

The investigation suggests that barnstorming efforts relied heavily on public money, blurring the line between public health messaging and political campaigning, with cannabis once again at the center of Florida’s most contentious policy fight.

Photo: Shutterstock

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Florida’s medical marijuana program could see one of its most significant expansions yet. Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith filed a bill that would allow qualified medical marijuana patients to grow cannabis at home, creating a right that advocates have pushed for since the program was approved by voters in 2016.

Senate Bill 776 authorizes eligible patients who are at least 21 years old to cultivate up to six flowering cannabis plants at their residence for personal, noncommercial use. The plants must be secured to prevent access by unauthorized individuals. The proposal also makes it legal for patients to buy seeds and clones directly from licensed medical marijuana treatment centers, which formalizes a supply chain that does not currently exist under state law.

The bill amends section 604.71 of Florida’s statutes and places strict limits on personal cultivation. Any activity beyond the six plant allowance remains subject to penalties under Chapter 893. Personal use of homegrown cannabis would still fall under the same restrictions that govern medical use across the state.

The filing arrives as Florida’s medical program approaches one million registered patients. Costs remain a central concern, especially for patients who depend on consistent supplies for chronic or debilitating conditions. Supporters of home cultivation argue that allowing patients to grow their own plants would improve access and reduce financial pressure in a system dominated by large vertically integrated operators.

Home grow has been one of the most debated questions in Florida’s cannabis landscape. Lawmakers have repeatedly declined to include it in previous expansions of the program. Courts have also rejected attempts to reinterpret the medical amendment in a way that would allow personal cultivation.

Senator Smith’s bill places the issue back in the Legislature at a time when cannabis policy in Florida is already shifting. Adult use legalization failed to make the 2024 ballot after a high-profile Supreme Court fight. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services implemented new testing and safety rules for hemp-derived products earlier this year. MMTCs continue to expand operations and open new storefronts across the state.

If approved, the home grow law would take effect July 1, 2026.

Photo: Shutterstock

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The cannabis industry has gone global, and this fall, the conversation comes to Florida. On October 2–3, 2025, the Cannabis Law, Accounting & Business (CLAB) Conference & Expo will host its 8th annual gathering at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida. The theme is “The Globalization of Cannabis,” with two days of panels, networking, and deal-making focused on international markets, trade, and investment.

Get tickets here and use promo code HIGH20 for 20% off.

Who’s Taking the Stage

CLAB draws speakers who know the business inside and out. This year’s lineup includes:

• Ricky Williams, NFL great and founder of Highsman
• Dr. Adam Abodeely, CEO of Coral Cove Wellness Resort in Jamaica
• Laura Hand, Cannabis Travel Association International
• Chris Day, Global Cannabis Network Collective
• Jillian Reddish, Global Cannabis Network Collective
• Leah Heise, Wolf Meyer
• Tony Verzura, Blue River Terps
• Lisa Weser, Trailblaze
• Franny Tacy, Franny’s Farmacy
• Julián Wilches, Clever Leaves
• Zev Barnett, Maven Bioscience
• Sara Brittany Somerset, global drug policy analyst

And headlining the program is High Times Editor-in-Chief Javier Hasse, who brings years of reporting on cannabis markets from Latin America to Europe and beyond, offering a rare global perspective from inside the media trenches.

What To Expect

The agenda spans every corner of the business:

• International trade and export opportunities
• Banking, finance, and compliance in a shifting landscape
• Cross-border branding and marketing strategies
• Investment outlook for Latin America, the Caribbean, Florida, and beyond

It is more than a conference. The expo floor will feature top cannabis companies and service providers, while evening receptions create space for networking and community building.

Where It’s Happening

The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, sits on the Atlantic coast between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The oceanside venue offers modern meeting space, on-site accommodations, and the Florida backdrop that has made it a favorite for cannabis leaders gathering from around the world.

Why Go

The cannabis business is no longer bound by borders. From Colombia to the Caribbean to Florida, CLAB brings together the people shaping that future. For operators, investors, and entrepreneurs, this is where the next wave of global cannabis commerce takes shape.

Buy tickets now with code HIGH20 for 20% off.

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Including Lemon Cherry Gelato, Triangle Kush, and Hash Burger.

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Bye-bye, Dry January. Millions of weed smokers say adios to winter’s worst with a breathtaking selection of lucky green across the USA and Canada this St. Patrick’s Day. Legalization in over 20 states offers ever more affordable alternatives to booze. The California outdoor is perfectly cured. Your favorite musician has a new strain.  Maryland has […]

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Including New Mexico’s biggest medical shop.

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At least 11 states racked up medical and adult-use cannabis sales over $1 billion in 2024.

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Hit those goals with new weed gummies, hemp drinks, and more from 17 states.

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Including the Depp South’s biggest medical shop.

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