It’s a stark contrast: the leniency of marijuana laws in some states and the crackdown happening in Mississippi.
While Mississippi has decriminalized first-time possession of marijuana for personal use, possessing, selling or cultivating larger amounts can result in extremely heavy penalties, including prison time.
A recently discovered outdoor marijuana farm is believed to be the largest such grow operation found in Mississippi since the 1980s.
The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics found the farm in a woodsy location off a rural road in Jefferson Davis County. No one was at the site when authorities arrived, and no one had been arrested at the time of a news report.
However, authorities estimate that the 20,000 marijuana plants at the location could have a street value of more than $20 million.
MNB agents and local authorities began destroying the plants by burning them.
Don’t face a marijuana charge alone.
After getting arrested and charged with a drug offense, many people assume their only option is to plead guilty. The truth, though, is that the arrest is only part of the legal process. You have a right to fight the charge and challenge the prosecution’s evidence. In many cases, mistakes or violations on the part of police result in the reduction or dismissal of charges.
An experienced criminal defense lawyer can investigate your case to determine whether your rights were violated at any point before, during or after the arrest.
For more on drug charge defense, please see our previous post, “Mississippi authorities announce crackdown on opioid trafficking.”
