Acting on a tip, officers from the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit obtained a search warrant and raided a home. The raid took place in Gobles on Dec. 18. It resulted in the seizure of a pound of marijuana.
Besides the marijuana, the officers found methamphetamine inside the home, as well as firearms and $501 in cash. Two people, ages 39 and 46, were inside the home at the time and were arrested. They face various drug possession charges, as well as charges for possessing a firearm and maintaining a drug house. Police are still investigating the incident.
Drug possession laws vary by state. In some cases, drug possession violates both state and federal laws. Simple possession means that there is only a small quantity of the drug for personal use. Possession with the intent to deliver means that the quantity is larger, often because the suspect intends to sell it for a profit.
In this case, the suspects were charged with possession with the intent to deliver because of the large quantity of marijuana found during the raid. One pound of marijuana is typically more than one would possess for personal use. In addition to the drug amount, when determining the type of charges, police look for drug paraphernalia, such as scales and baggies, items used to make the drug and large amounts of cash. In this case, more than $500 was found in the home. Although it is not a significantly large amount, it is a sufficient amount to believe that it was earned though selling drugs.
Source: Kalamazoo Gazette, “Van Buren authorities seize guns, cash and a pound of marijuana in Gobles raid,” Rosemary Parker, Dec. 19, 2012
