Talk about the failed war on drugs.
A Texas teenager who was allegedly making and selling marijuana brownies has been charged with a first-degree felony and could spend a lifetime behind bars for baking up the edibles.
Sounds ridiculous, right?
Not to authorities, who said they found Jacob Lavoro’s illegal operation that included 1.5 pounds of brownies, a pound of pot, baggies filled with marijuana and hash oil, and $1,675 in cash. The 19-year-old was said to have sold the brownies for $25 each.
Needless to say, the hefty sentence is weighing on the teenager.
“I can’t see past this right now,” Lavoro, who is out on bond, told NBC affiliate KXAN. “And if it comes out to be a first-degree felony … chances of me being able to succeed with my goals are slim.”
His father, Joe Lavoro, agreed that Williamson County prosecutors are going too far.
“No, I don’t believe my son is guilty to the point that they say,” he said.
Travis McDonald, assistant district attorney, said possessing at least 4 grams of hash oil could lead to a first-degree felony charge because it’s considered a controlled substance. Lavoro is accused of having 145 grams of the oil, which has higher concentrations of the active ingredient in cannabis.
The life in prison sentence is “part of a range” that could be as low as five years’ probation if Lavoro is found guilty, McDonald told NBC News.
He added that first-time offenders are generally treated to a different standard.
Let’s hope so. In the meantime, Lavoro’s attorney said that he wants the felony offense downgraded to a misdemeanor. We’ll keep you updated on Lavoro’s case.
SOURCE: NBC | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
