Jacob Sullum on the Recipe for a Life Sentence in Texas: Mix Hash Brownies With Two Kinds of Prohibitionist Idiocy
When Jacob Lavoro, a 19-year-old from Round Rock, Texas, learned that he could go to prison for the rest of his life over a pound and a half of cannabis-infused brownies and cookies, he was surprised. So were his father, his lawyer, and, judging from the plentiful press coverage, many other people. How could baked goods that are legally sold in Colorado (and soon in Washington) trigger a sentence of 10 years to life in Texas? The answer, says Jacob Sullum, mixes two kinds of prohibitionist idiocy.