Father, mother arrested after Mississippi drug officers reportedly catch them sharing marijuana cigarette with daughter

Published 6:01 am Saturday, May 27, 2023

The mother and father were arrested after Mississippi drug officers reportedly caught the two smoking marijuana with their 17-year-old daughter.

WHAT WE KNOW:

Drug agents with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office witnessed the driver of a vehicle parked in a public parking lot reportedly pass a marijuana cigarette to a passenger in the car’s back seat. The passenger was identified as 17-year-old juvenile.

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Agents arrested Daisy and Juan Ortega, who were in the car. The two have been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Juan Ortega has been charged with distributing a controlled substance.

The 17-year-old juvenile, later identified as the Ortega’s daughter, has been charged with the delinquent act of possessing marijuana.

When questioned by the agent, Juan Ortega produced a Medical Marijuana Card and claimed that he could legally possess the marijuana.

A patient that is prescribed marijuana and has a state-issued marijuana ID card, cannot smoke the marijuana in a public place and cannot give his marijuana to someone else to smoke, according to a statement from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office/

Mississippi code 41-29-139 (a) (1) It is unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally: To sell, barter, transfer, manufacture, distribute, dispense or possess with intent to sell, barter, transfer, manufacture, distribute or dispense, a controlled substance; Punishment for transfer and possession with intent to transfer. If less than two (2) grams or ten (10) dosage units, by imprisonment for not more than eight ( years or a fine of not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), or both.

QUOTABLE:

“It’s no secret drug dealers are killing people in our community by selling drugs to children. Now we have to worry about parents giving their own children drugs. Parents need to start being parents and stop trying to be friends with their children. We look forward to this pair facing our justice system.” — Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins