"Harry Potter" Star Jamie Waylett Charged with Growing Marijuana in His Home

Waylett, 19, Plays Vincent Crabbe in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

Steven Bryan
Steven Bryan, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Jul 8, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
Based on the news coming out of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry these days, one has to wonder exactly what Professor Sprout is teaching in Herbology class. On Tuesday, BBC News reported that Jamie Waylett, the young actor who plays Vincent Crabbe in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," has been charged with growing cannabis plants in his mother's North London home.

Waylett Previously Arrested for Marijuana Possession

In April, Waylett, 19, was arrested in Westminster and charged with possession of 8 bags of marijuana, according to the London Telegraph. Earlier this year in England, marijuana was upgraded from a Class C drug to Class B, which makes it more serious to possess and produce. If convicted of producing cannabis in his home, Jamie Waylett could face up to 14 years in prison.

The timing of the arrest is rather unfortunate for Waylett's career. Like other background characters in the "Harry Potter" universe, Vincent Crabbe becomes more important to the plot as the saga continues. Waylett's arrest and possible conviction could overshadow his good work in the final movies in the series.

Is Marijuana the Drug of Choice of a New Generation?

Whether they realize it or not, young celebrities such as Jamie Waylett have a responsibility to set an example to their underage fans. Unfortunately, Waylett is just the latest star to watch their dreams go up in a puff of (marijuana) smoke:

• Michael Phelps. The golden boy of the Beijing Olympic Games, Michael Phelps saw his historic 8 gold medals become tarnished after photos of him smoking pot from a bong surfaced in the media. Georgina Dickinson of "News of the World" reported that Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana at the University of South Carolina in November.

• Macaulay Culkin. The star of two "Home Alone" movies and the live adaptation of "Richie Rich," Culkin was charged with possession of marijuana and the prescription drug Xanax in 2004. Stephen M. Silverman of People.com reported that Culkin, then 24, pleaded guilty to the charges in an Oklahoma City courtroom in 2005.

• Kristen Stewart. A rising star thanks to her role in the red-hot movie "Twilight," TMZ.com reported that actress Kristen Stewart was photographed smoking marijuana on the front steps of her Los Angeles residence in November. One has to wonder what Bella Swan, Stewart's character, would think about this.

Resources:

"Potter stars drenched at premiere," BBC News

"Harry Potter star Jamie Waylett charged with growing cannabis," The London Telegraph

News of the World, "14-times Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps caught with cannabis pipe," Georgina Dickinson

People.com, "Macaulay Culkin Pleads Guilty to Pot Charge," Stephen M. Silverman

http://www.tmz.com/2008/11/26/twilight-stars-pipe-dream/

http://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5758

http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/young-and-stupid-celebs-giving-20-something-peers-bad-name

Published by Steven Bryan - Featured Contributor in Arts & Entertainment

After writing professionally for more than 17 years, I feel lucky to be providing content for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Y!CN allows me to explore my love for movies, TV and all things dealing with pop...   View profile

More from

7 Comments

Post a Comment
  • Cody 8/2/2010

    really, comon, end the witch hunt; marijuana is harmless.

  • Lock 7/14/2009

    I'm 146 years old and have been smoking marijuana for an odd 90 years. My name's Aragorn, I've been hitting the pipe with the dwarves since I can remember. Those little guys. i dont drink Alcohol however, since it kills 200,000+ twits a year. Marijuana is perfectly natural with no apparent side-effects.

  • Jack McGuirk 7/12/2009

    My advice for Jaime is plead not guilty and read Hank Rearden's speech to the court from Atlas Shrugged in your defense. The day has passed when twelve of your peers could be found who would be willing to lock you in a cage for decades because you had the courage to grow, trade, or consume the most useful plant on earth. Hand out Fully Informed Jury Association leaflets at the courthouse on the day of jury selection. Jury nullification is bound to play a central role in ending cannabis prohibition!

    Free Marc Emery!
    Install Ron Paul!
    Go Kopbusters!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-WPhkkPkEM

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pTIQ0c-K2k

  • a name 7/9/2009

    to(both of you) karl im happy you have lived a successful life and have lived to be 84 congratz thats an achievment i hope to achieve one day.. as for the pot smokein haha i like smokein well lol i do it alot but to say it is completely harmless is just asinine to say although i agree with you that there has not been a death that i have herd of but it has been proven from smokeing marijiuana produces more tar in your lungs than ciggaretes witch can lead to lung cancer.... but ciggaretes are still more dangerous because of all the added chemicels witch causes lung,throught,mouth and even stomach cancer... but there are differnt ways to smoke marryjane like useing a bong or a zong haha that filters out 75% of the tar that is in marijana... it is also true you can use tabacco in bongs and zongs but the tobacco that you buy for a waterpipe dosent have half the chemicels put into a actual ciggerete if you smoke the goneja out of a vaporiser it filters out 100% of tar out of it because the v

  • Karl 7/8/2009

    To (marijuana is not good)

    I am 84 years old, I have smoked marijuana since I was 14, and I know far more about it than you, its obvious based on our views. You sir do not understand the first thing about marijuana, it does not kill you, Ive used it for 70 years without any problems at all. It is less harmful to my body than alcohol, I wont drink alcohol because It is a far dangerous drug than marijuana which causes over 200,000 deaths each year while there has never in the history of earth been a death directly attributed to marijuana, not one.

    So if you are correct then I should be dead right? or I should have amounted to nothing during my life, well your not right. I am 84 and healthy, I have raised a wonderful family of 5 and have 3 children that love me so very much. My professional career lasted 49 years, I paid taxes and provided for my entire family and have managed to keep my wife of 52 years standing by my side. I think I am a great person, not worthy of being thrown i

  • Marjunana is not good 7/8/2009

    ... Honestly Karl? It's marijuana. =/ I mean, do you even honestly know what exactly that IS? It can cause both short term, and long term effects that can (in the end) most likely kill someone. I would hardly say that it's 'harmless' in any way, shape, or form. I think that you should probably try to go look it up or ask around before saying it's anywhere near harmless... And I think that it's good that he could get jail time. I never saw him as a "role model", or any of them really, as such, but he might be to other kids.

  • Karl 7/8/2009

    Come on people, what surprises me the most is that there are human beings out there that feel like more than a year in a prison is the correct punishment for each plant grown? Isn't it inhumane to lock a human being in a metal cage for years on out just for growing a plant that is harmless in there own home in which they worked for and payed plenty of taxes along the way????????? What is wrong with people? Doesn't anyone else see that it is inhumane to treat people this way over a plant????? Where is the harm, the damage caused by his little plants?????? Has anyone complained or been hurt or anything at all, ANY DANGER AT ALL, NO, so what in the world makes people think this is ok???????
    WOW

Displaying Comments

To comment, please sign in to your Yahoo! account, or sign up for a new account.