Marijuana plants helped with tight budget, Destin woman says

DESTIN - Two people tried growing marijuana in their apartment because of tough times financially, they told investigators.

Matthew Freeman and Cynthia Barrett, both 20 and from Dancing Cloud Court, are charged with cultivation of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

They were arrested after a reported disturbance at the complex, where Barrett mentioned "plants in the apartment," according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. She told a deputy there were three marijuana plants growing in the living room and three or four in a bedroom closet. Then she signed a consent form for a search.

Inside, deputies found 21 plants. Some were seeds with only small sprouts, some were in the trash and one was uprooted and ly-ing on the kitchen counter.

In a closet, there were water jugs, a timer, a box of potting soil and grow lights.

Freeman initially said he tried to grow marijuana with moderate success but later said none of it was actually his.