“Weed Country” Star Matt Shotwell Has Charges Dropped

Matt Shotwell, the star of Discovery Channel’s reality show “Weed Country,” had charges -three violations of California law- the transportation, distribution or possession of narcotics; two counts of cannabis cultivation, and one count possessing cannabis for sale and maintaining a site for cannabis distribution- dropped Thursday in a California court.

Shotwell, owner of Greenwell Cooperative, Vallejo’s largest medical cannabis dispensaries, was arrested in February of 2012 and his dispensary raided and shut down.

Vallejo Police confiscated hundreds of cannabis plants, computers, cash ($8,700), cannabis paraphernalia and edibles, and a handgun registered to Shotwell.

“Given the facts of this case … the people feel they cannot prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Deputy District Attorney Jack Harris told Solano County Superior Court Judge Allan Carter.

The courtroom erupted with applause when The Judge Carter’s official dismissal ended with the slam of the judges hammer.

Shotwell, like many of his supporters, broke out in tears.

“I hope this gives people courage to stay in the [cannabis] business,” Shotwell said. “This is like the last nail in the coffin for the opponents of medical marijuana in Vallejo.”

Vallejo police Capt. Ken Weaver disagrees.

“If (Shotwell’s) under the impression that we’ve stopped, then he’s misinformed,” Weaver said . “We will continue to investigate criminal activity that’s out there. Their side has a difference of opinion (about medical marijuana laws), and eventually it’s going to be decided in the California State Supreme Court.”

Vallejo police had also raided several other dispensaries, the last one occurring in August of 2012.

All those charges were also dropped, before Shotwell’s chargers were, even though he was the first arrested.

“I was hoping I’d get off, that was the trend,” Shotwell said. “(But) there were some variables that had me nervous.”

One variable was Shotwell’s high profile status as a Discovery Chanel reality show star.

Weed Country, a six episode series aired on the Discovery Channel that highlighted the conflicts between licensed cannabis growers and law enforcement, the latter often open to ridicule in the show’s final edit.