Cross-posted from Mike Malloy
Texas teenager Jacob Lavaro cooked up a batch of brownies, totaling 1.5 pounds. But he made a couple of mistakes: first, he got caught with them before he could eat them, and second, he used hash oil instead of the actual leafy version of the illegal (in Texas) herb, which means prosecutors can use the entire weight of the brownies -- cocoa, flour, butter, sugar and all, in their possession charges against him. As a result, Lavaro faces five years to life in prison for his forbidden treats.
CBS reports:
"According to Texas law, possession of even one gram of hash is considered to be much, much worse than possession of actual herb. Whereas you can have up to two ounces of herb in Texas and face misdemeanor charges and 180 days in jail, a single gram of hash is a felony with up to two years in the slammer. And in Lovoro's case, cops are charging with possession and distributing more than 400 grams -- even though he didn't have more than a few grams of hash oil to begin with."
The hash brownie played a major part in Peter Sellers 1968 film, "I Love You, Alice B. Toklas," and Marijuana-spiked brownies are a key plot element in many TV shows. See here.
Unfortunately however, Lavaro is charged with a first degree felony, on par with capital murder. Sexual assault and assault with a deadly weapon carry a lesser range of punishments.
I guess Lavoro should be grateful Texas isn't considering executing him for the charge.
