Some people call marijuana “weed” because of how quickly and aggressively the plant grows. The government spends millions of dollars every year eradicating wild marijuana plants growing because birds have dropped the seeds somewhere or people planted them in public spaces.
It is illegal to possess marijuana in Texas, and you may worry that the act of buying marijuana would bring you to the attention of law enforcement. Given how easy it can be to cultivate marijuana, growing your own may seem like a great solution that will limit your personal risk, but it could actually be a major mistake because of how Texas handles marijuana cultivation offenses.
Why growing marijuana is so risky
At first glance, it may not seem like marijuana cultivation is that dangerous because Texas doesn’t have a special law imposing penalties for marijuana cultivation. However, that is exactly why it is so dangerous. The state will use the same rules that apply to possession cases for cultivation cases.
The weight of your plants will determine the charges and penalties that you face. Police officers could very well weigh the plants when they are still wet, meaning that the total weight will be far more than what you would actually have harvested from those plants. More importantly, even one moderately well-established plant could put you over the threshold for a felony offense. The penalties could include fines and jail time, in addition to the lifelong consequences of a drug charge on your criminal record.
Learning more about Texas drug charges can help you decide how to defend yourself after you get arrested.