3 charged for major theft organization targeting luxury vehiclesMan arrested for DUI after slamming into Port Charlotte home’s garage
LEHIGH ACRES 3 charged for major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles Three men, one from Lehigh Acres, has been charged for their role in a major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles.
port charlotte Man arrested for DUI after slamming into Port Charlotte home’s garage The North Port Police Department has arrested a man accused of DUI and crashing into a Port Charlotte home’s garage.
CAPE CORAL New information on nurse accused of starving premature baby New information has been released about what happened behind closed doors when a nurse allegedly starved a premature baby.
BONITA SPRINGS World’s largest bounce castle to spring into Bonita Springs The Big Bounce America, the world’s largest inflatable bounce castle is set to appear in Bonita Springs.
palmdale Gatorama owner bitten during alligator feeding show Gatorama owner Allen Register was sent to hospital after being bitten by an alligator during a feeding show.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of Cape Coral DUI accident with serious injuries A man has been arrested after allegedly causing an accident with injuries while driving under the influence in Cape Coral.
wink news Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
the weather authority Another warm afternoon for your Tuesday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warm Tuesday afternoon with stray rain showers expected in our inland communities.
NORTH FORT MYERS Cape Coral man faces 16 charges after fleeing multiple traffic stops Marcus Selby, 24, is facing multiple charges after a dramatic series of events involving Cape Coral police and Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents brace for traffic surge with new advisory and app aid Sanibel residents are bracing for increased traffic as the city issued a “heavy traffic advisory” for the entire week.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
LEHIGH ACRES 3 charged for major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles Three men, one from Lehigh Acres, has been charged for their role in a major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles.
port charlotte Man arrested for DUI after slamming into Port Charlotte home’s garage The North Port Police Department has arrested a man accused of DUI and crashing into a Port Charlotte home’s garage.
CAPE CORAL New information on nurse accused of starving premature baby New information has been released about what happened behind closed doors when a nurse allegedly starved a premature baby.
BONITA SPRINGS World’s largest bounce castle to spring into Bonita Springs The Big Bounce America, the world’s largest inflatable bounce castle is set to appear in Bonita Springs.
palmdale Gatorama owner bitten during alligator feeding show Gatorama owner Allen Register was sent to hospital after being bitten by an alligator during a feeding show.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of Cape Coral DUI accident with serious injuries A man has been arrested after allegedly causing an accident with injuries while driving under the influence in Cape Coral.
wink news Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
the weather authority Another warm afternoon for your Tuesday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warm Tuesday afternoon with stray rain showers expected in our inland communities.
NORTH FORT MYERS Cape Coral man faces 16 charges after fleeing multiple traffic stops Marcus Selby, 24, is facing multiple charges after a dramatic series of events involving Cape Coral police and Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents brace for traffic surge with new advisory and app aid Sanibel residents are bracing for increased traffic as the city issued a “heavy traffic advisory” for the entire week.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
Photo by WINK News. The cannabis chemical CBD is for sale all over Southwest Florida in a variety of products. Driving down U.S. 41 in Fort Myers, you can’t miss all the stores selling the popular hemp product. Extracted from hemp, CBD (or cannabidiol) won’t get you high, but users say the popular product helps them fight things like pain, anxiety, and insomnia. And you don’t need a medical marijuana card or to go to a dispensary to buy it. “There’s more curiosity for people to look into this as an option,” Rob Fontano, owner of Cirrus Smoke Shop in Fort Myers, said. He said he’s been selling it for about a year. Jimmy Java, owner of Jimmy’s Java, just started selling the hemp-based compound at farmer’s markets, adding it to his coffee. “That’s what made us get into it is, the market demanded it,” he said. “And we can’t keep it on the shelves.” But during this WINK News investigation, we found the soon-to-be multi-billion dollar industry has its issues. For starters, the state of Florida says it’s not legal, writing in an email: “At the present time, CBD products are not legal for sale in Florida.” So how did it end up for sale on nearly every street corner? CBD in a Legal Gray Area “There are more questions than there are answers,” said Pamella Seay, attorney and Florida Gulf Coast University marijuana law professor. Seay said it’s all up to interpretation. “The law is in a state of turmoil, we really do not know what is legal or not legal within the framework of both state and federal law,” she said. It’s unclear, in part, because last December federal lawmakers made it legal for states to create commercial hemp programs as part of the 2018 farm bill. Lawmakers also redefined hemp, taking it off the list of Schedule I drugs, under the Controlled Substances Act. WINK News received this statement from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA): “With passage of the 2018 farm bill, any part of the marijuana plant (including seeds, derivatives and extracts) that have a THC concentration of no more than 0.3 percent THC are now defined as “hemp” and accordingly, do not fall under DEA’s purview. Therefore, if CBD came from a “hemp” plant (a plant with less than 0.3 percent THC) it would also not fall under DEA’s purview. Most CBD is less than 0.3 percent THC. Please note that I am saying “not under DEA’s purview” instead of “legal.” That is deliberate. CBD may still be “illegal” depending on local or state laws, and depending on what you are doing with the CBD you may fall under FDA’s jurisdiction (for example if you are purporting it to be a medicine or cure diseases). But if it is below 0.3 percent THC, it is not in DEA’s purview. Also, just as a side note, if the plant is 0.3 percent THC or ABOVE, it is absolutely DEA’s purview and is still illegal. That would legally be considered marijuana which is still an illegal Schedule I controlled substance just as it always was. Anyone distributing products containing 0.3 percent or more is breaking federal law and could be subject to prosecution.” Sounds like a green light for CBD, right? Not so fast. “The answer is maybe or maybe not,” Seay said. “I do believe that business owners may be taking a calculated risk.” It’s a risk some businesses are clearly willing to take. “If you don’t have specificity in the law, how do you enforce that?” Seay said. When WINK News checked back in, both business owners said they make sure their CBD vendors follow federal laws according to the 2018 farm bill, and they’ve been in touch with local law enforcement. “Their position was as long as these products are tested properly and these products do not exceed the legal limits and do not contain anything synthetic or illegal, that they’re ok with it,” Fontano said. Jimmy Java told WINK News his product was mistakenly pulled from the Marco Island Farmer’s Market by city workers, who reported him to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. He’s since returned to selling it there. “They called the sheriff’s department and sheriff’s department said, ‘no it’s not illegal,” Schillreff. So, they don’t plan to close up shop anytime soon. WINK News reached out to Lee, Collier, and Charlotte County Sheriff’s Offices on this issue, see their statements at the bottom of this article. In the meantime, what’s being done to clear up the grey area? The Florida Department of Agriculture told us it’s working on creating a statewide hemp program. Once lawmakers pass a bill and it is approved by the USDA, CBD will officially be legal in for sale in Florida and highly regulated so that consumers can feel more comfortable buying it. Submit Copyright ©2025 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.