Hundreds of local residents every year get wrapped up in the serious criminal laws for cultivating cannabis.
Those who grow their own can face an array of penalties. In New Jersey, growing more than 10 plants brings the most serious charges. In Pennsylvania, growing even a single seedling is considered a felony.
But there is a big difference in how both states treat underground cannabis farmers.
Convictions are easy for prosecutors to win. The sentences imposed are at the discretion of judges and range across the board from light to draconian.