Early Monday morning, a Mount Olive police officer stopped a 19-year-old Flanders’ resident when he saw a vehicle with an equipment violation.

The suspect gave the officer permission to search the vehicle, which resulted in the officer finding a “large quantity of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.”

Later, the suspect gave officers permission to search his bedroom at his residence. During this search, police found what they believe to be LSD, ecstasy, psilocybin mushrooms, hashish, jurema root, and more marijuana.

The suspect was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of LSD, possession of psilocybin mushrooms, possession of jurema root, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A statement from Mount Olive police did not specify how much marijuana was found in the suspect’s vehicle or at his residence. Depending on the amount of drugs found, the suspect could be looking at a very long time in jail. The penalties for marijuana possession are laid out in N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10, which prohibits a person from possessing a controlled dangerous substance such as marijuana. If the suspect possessed 50 grams or less, it is a disorderly persons offense, which can lead to a sentence of six (6) months in jail. If the suspect possessed more than 50 grams, it is a fourth degree felony, which could result in an 18-month jail sentence.

A charge of intent to distribute marijuana is covered by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, which prohibits a person from distributing a controlled dangerous substance such as marijuana. Again, the penalties can vary, depending on the amount of marijuana distributed. It is a fourth degree felony to distribute less than one (1) ounce of marijuana, which can lead to 18 months in jail. Intent to distribute more than one (1) ounce of marijuana is a third degree felony, punishable by a sentence of up to five (5) years in jail. Intent to distribute more than five (5) pounds of marijuana is a second degree felony, punishable by up to ten (10) years in jail.

The suspect is currently free after posting 10 percent of his $10,000.00 bail.

For more information, see the NJ.com article entitled “Teen Had Pot, Ecstasy, LSD, Mushrooms, Hashish, Jurema Root, Mount Olive Police Say.”