Charlotte Hornets Montrezl Harrell Faces Five Years Over Cannabis Possession Charges After Traffic Stop

NBA's Montrezl Harrell faces five years if convicted on felony cannabis possession charges. 

What happened? 

The Charlotte Hornets forward was pulled over by a Kentucky state trooper on May 12 in Richmond, Ky., reported The Charlotte Observer. 

Police records showed that Harrel was stopped for following the vehicle in front of him too closely. Trooper Jesse Owens stated that when he stopped Harrel he “observed an odor of marijuana” from the vehicle. Owens said Harrell “admitted to being in possession of marijuana and produced a small amount from his sweatpants.” After Harrell's rental car was searched, “three pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags” were found in the back seat and Harrell was charged with trafficking less than five pounds of cannabis.

Under Kentucky law, owning or trafficking eight or more ounces but less than five pounds of cannabis is considered a Class D felony for first-time offenders and is punishable by a fine ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 and 1-5 years of incarceration. 

There has been no official comment from the Hornets.

Harrell joined the Hornets after playing the first half of the season for Washington Wizards. He was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers, who signed him as a free agent during the 2020 offseason. It remains to be seen how the incident will affect his professional basketball career. 

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