Unless you are one of the very few who qualify for Iowa’s recently passed, and highly restrictive, medical marijuana program, the law is clear in the Hawkeye State when it comes to possessing and growing cannabis.

A first offense of possessing any amount of weed in Iowa can earn you a fat $1000 fine and up to six months in the clink. If they catch you growing pot in Iowa, you’ll be looking at a much steeper fine and anywhere from five, to twenty five, years in prison.
So it was kind of a big deal when 48-year old Benton Mackenzie left the courtroom with just probation yesterday, after being found guilty of cultivating 71 cannabis plants after a police raid on their property back in June of last year. Under the circumstances, however, it’s easy to see why the Judge showed some leniency.