John Morales, the actor who played the crime-fighting cartoon character McGruff the Crime Dog, was sentenced to 16 years in prison stemming from a 2011 arrest in which police seized 1,000 marijuana plants, 27 weapons – including a grenade launcher – and 9,000 rounds of ammunition from his home.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      sentenced to 16 years in prison stemming from a 2011 arrest in which police seized 1,000 marijuana plants, 27 weapons – including a grenade launcher – and 9,000 rounds of ammunition from his home, reports CBS Houston.

      What is the crime officer? Enjoying a meal? A succulent weapons grade explosive meal?

      Also, note that the arrest predates Texas marijuana decriminalization

      • kautau@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Although don’t many decriminalization or legalization laws also have an upper limit on how many plants you can grow for personal use? I could still see some intent to distribute charge with 1000 plants

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Although don’t many decriminalization or legalization laws also have an upper limit on how many plants you can grow for personal use?

          So, technically yes. But Texas decriminalization came out of a court case around what constituted medical marijuana under a 2019 law. In this case, the issue was a court ruling in which cops had to prove a certain Delta-9 THC level in a product in order to seek prosecution. And the process for determining that value was so expensive and unreliable that enforcing the law was functionally impossible.

          Subsequently, a number of major municipalities and DAs basically gave up on prosecuting these cases, leading to de facto legalization.

    • b000rg@midwest.social
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      1 year ago

      Until 2023, it was federally illegal to possess any illegal drugs along with a firearm, and drug users were barred from buying firearms.

        • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone take this position. Pro/anti legalization yes, but never “it’s not a drug” (it’s a feature).

          You’re wrong, but at least you’re novelly wrong!

            • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Well shucks, I suppose I should preface everything new I encounter with “to me” going forward, since that can’t be expected to be implied through grammar alone…

          • barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            How is weed a drug, but alcohol and tobacco aren’t? If it’s illegal to possess a firearm with weed, why isn’t it illegal with liquor or cigarettes?

            • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              What? Alcohol and tobacco are both drugs - as with caffeine, they are not illegal ones, but they very much are still drugs. Not sure where you’re getting the idea they’re not.

              And the second part, racism probably? (though posession of a firearm while intoxicated is usually an exacerbating (not the right term sorry) circumstance)

          • jagged_circle@feddit.nl
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            1 year ago

            It’s not novel at all wtf

            I think the majority of humanity would agree that cannabis is not a drug

            • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              I’ve got no idea if you’re trolling or not. But on the chance that you’re not, drugs are either synthesized or bio-derived.

              In pharmacology, a drug is a chemical substance, typically of known structure, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect.

              I suppose an argument could be made that under that definition cannabis is a plant and THC/CBD are the drugs, but that’s dubiously semantic at best since the consumption of cannabis is what produces the effect.

        • Jay@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          So terrible dangerous of him…(Clutches pearls) Someone might have gotten high off all that devil’s lettuce!!

            • _stranger_@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              The “launcher” is probably one of those under barrel AR-15 attachments which is trivial to get (expensive and might also require the steps below, but that’s a one time thing).

              The grenades though:

              To legally purchase, make, or possess a Destructive Device (DD) you must:

              Be 21+ years of age to purchase a DD from a dealer.
              
              Be 18+ years of age to purchase a DD from an individual on a Form 4 to Form 4 transfer (contingent on state laws).
              
              Be 18+ years of age to make and register a DD on a Form 1 (contingent on state laws).
              
              Be 18+ years of age to possess a DD as a beneficiary of a trust or as a member of a corporation (contingent on state laws).
              
              Be a resident of the United States.
              
              Be legally eligible to purchase a firearm.
              
              Pass a BATFE background check.
              
              Pay a one-time $200 tax to register or transfer the item.
              
              Reside in a state that currently allows ownership of DD’s.
              

              And you have to do the forms and pay the $200 for each grenade individually.

  • Javi@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    They should’ve known; it’s not like he was called McGruff the good dog.

  • Narauko@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I do hope the judge looked him dead in the eyes at the sentencing and said “Bad dog” before rubbing his nose in the evidence bags.

    On the positive side, he should be out after 2.13 human years. Sooner with good behavior and completion of an obedience class from a licensed training academy.

  • Etterra@discuss.online
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    1 year ago

    I just realized that if you spell ‘irony’ as ‘ironi’ then it sounds like a brand of fortified pasta.