19-year-old Jacob Lavaro from Texas could face life behind bars – all because of the way he baked his weed brownies. Officials in Round Rock, Texas, have charged him with a first degree felony because he opted to use hash oil in his recipe rather than marijuana. That crucial cooking decision allows the state to include all the rest of his ingredients (typically brownie mix and butter) in calculating the total weight of the drugs.  

Lavaro's space cakes weighed a total of one and a half pounds. Police allege that Lavaro was baking the goods for later sale. If found guilty, Lavoro could face between five years and a lifetime in jail, higher than the punishment range for sexual assault or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the state. He is currently being held at Williamson County Jail on $30,000 bail.

The teenager's father Joe Lavoro believes that whilst his son should be punished if found guilty, five years behind bars for making cakes is just too long.

“It’s outrageous. It’s crazy. I don’t understand it," he said. "Five years to life? I’m sorry. I’m a law abiding citizen. I’m a conservative. I love my country. I’m a Vietnam veteran, but I’ll be damned. This is wrong."

The case comes at a strange time for US marijuana laws. In Denver, food trucks are selling weed–based delicacies, including pulled pork and tomato soup, while in Colorado, the state sympohony orchestra is hosting BYO weed classical concerts. So while in other US states, Jacob Lavoro may have been considered an enterprising businessman, in Texas he's just another felon.