Judge: 18 Years for 18 Grams of Pot Is Ridiculous

Is an 18-year prison sentence too harsh for having 18 grams of marijuana? The Louisiana Supreme Court's chief justice thinks so, and she says it's outrageous that her colleagues upheld the punishment. In her dissenting opinion Wednesday, Chief Justice Bernette Johnson said it's ridiculous that a lengthy prison sentence for such a small amount of marijuana would be allowed to stand, the AP reports.

A jury convicted Gary D. Howard of marijuana possession with intent to distribute. A Caddo Parish judge sentenced him as a habitual offender in 2014. Howard's previous convictions include possession of firearm by a convicted felon in 2008. The state Supreme Court's majority ruled there was evidence that Howard packaged the marijuana for distribution, not his personal use. (More marijuana stories.)