The marijuana plantation of Junior ‘Spirit’ Cottle, a well-known marijuana cultivator and chairman of the St Vincent and he Grenadines (SVG) Cannabis Revival Committee (CRC) will never be raided by police.
Host of the Current Affairs interactive radio programme Bert Francois expressed his firm view Tuesday night when Cottle called the programme to contribute to the concerns raised over the arrest of two residents of Fitzhughes, North Leeward, met on a marijuana plantation whose owner has applied for and is awaiting a license to cultivate cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Francois’ view was that the men were arrested because of their “political affiliation,” they having been said to be supporters of the opposition New Democratic Party. He also expressed the view that Cottle’s field will never be raided because of his affiliation to the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP).
Hamilton Edwards of Fitzhughes, the owner of the marijuana plantation raided on Tuesday, was in capital Kingstown when police carried out a raid and arrested two workers, Chewit Edwards and Errol Howe of the same address on Tuesday afternoon.
The main concern was that Hamilton Edwards’ son, Sydney Pierre, had supplied electricity for a political meeting held by Member of Parliament (MP) for North Leeward and opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) vice president Roland ‘Patel’ Matthews the night before the raid was conducted. That concern also came against the backdrop that other marijuana plantations were in the area and they were not raided.
Cottle disagreed that the raid was politically-motivated. He, however, expressed disgust over the raid, saying he had encouraged Edwards to plant marijuana.
“Is me (who) tell the man plant weed (marijuana), you know. You see the same man whose weed they raid? Is me, ‘Spirit,’ who encouraged the man (to plant) weed and that is what vex me with the police. Me, ‘Spirit,’ in a meeting tell the man – ah say ‘watch nuh man, now is amnesty. I am a traditional grower, if you see man plant weed, plant weed too,” Cottle said.
“They will never raid your field,” Francois told Cottle.
“Me ah traditional grower, too. Me ha weed you know. I have weed you know. I planting weed, too,” Cottle said without agreeing or disagreeing with Francois’ position.
“I will put my neck on the block. Your field will never get raided,” Francois said again.
Cottle’s response was that there were “real people in Leeward whose field ain’t (get) raided.”
“But I am telling you yours will never get raided,” Francois remained adamant.