Clark County, NV — In an emotional courtroom display Friday, Steven Ficano, 65, embraced his attorney and his wife after the jury read their verdict of “not guilty.”

In 2012, Ficano’s house was raided by heroes protecting the citizens of Nevada from the horrors of marijuana plants. For the next three years, Ficano anxiously lived his life thinking that he could live out the rest of his golden years in a cage for the “crime” of treating his pain with a plant.

However, the three years that passed since his arrest were undoubtedly a benefit for Ficano in this case. The leaps and bounds that have taken place in regards to America’s acceptance of marijuana legalization had a lot to do with the jury’s verdict.

Since he was arrested, Nevada has legalized pot dispensaries.

“We’re not used to treating it as a medicine,” Ficano’s attorney, Dustin Marcello said. “Well, those days are over.”

The irony here is that if Ficano had gotten prescriptions for opioids and wasted away on these highly addictive pain-blockers, the state would have been just fine with it. However, since he chose to use a natural remedy without the horrid side-effects of nausea, vomiting, constipation, physical dependence, tolerance, respiratory depression and death, he was persecuted.

Ficano was found by police to be growing plants at his house for his personal consumption to treat a back injury. The state’s case against him consisted of saying he had too much pot, and they suspected him of selling it.

According to the Nevada Review-Journal:

In closing arguments, prosecutor Lindsey Moors lifted three cardboard boxes packed with marijuana that police confiscated from Ficano. She dropped each box, one-by-one, in front of the jury box.

Moors argued that several signs pointed to Ficano’s intent to sell pot. He had 68 plants, 24 pounds of finished marijuana, a digital scale, more than $51,000 in cash, 26 guns and “not a single pot baked-good located in his home.”

However, the jury was able to see past the attempt to demonize a man who had caused no harm to anyone. Not that having guns and large quantities of marijuana is immoral in any way, but the prosecution’s attempt to sway the jurors into believing Ficano was a criminal for having these things, failed miserably.

The guns were antique lever-action rifles, collectible pistol sets, and historic muskets, Ficano’s lawyer said.

The money was cash Ficano had pulled out of his bank account during the recession. Some of the pot had been stored in jars so long that it had grown moldy. Most of the plants were either male or too immature to produce buds.

The jury took only one hour to deliberate before highlighting the gross waste of taxpayer money in paying police, prosecutors, judges, and jurors to persecute a man who morally had done nothing wrong.

This verdict is yet another piece of evidence showing that Americans are becoming tired of seeing people kidnapped, locked in cages, or killed for their own personal choices.

Jurors have the power to overturn the war on drugs tomorrow. All they have to do is acquit all non-violent drug offenders. For more information check out our archives on jury nullification.