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Champion farmer Renardis 'Aukie' Donovan to face trial for ganja cultivation 

Renardis 'Aukie' Donovan pleaded not guilty to cultivation of cannabis sativa. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Champion farmer Renardis ‘Aukie’ Donovan appeared in the Magistrate's Court Friday May 13, 2016 charged with cultivation of cannabis sativa.

Donovan pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Tamia N. Richards and is to return to court on July 22, 2016 for trial.

He was represented in court by attorney-at-law Jamal S. Smith.

The court heard that on October 16, 2015, members of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force executed a search warrant on a plot of land that Donovan occupied in Carrot Bay.

As a result of the search Police allegedly found 226 cannabis plants on the said land and uprooted them.

Police escorted Donovan to the Road Town Police Station where he was charged, and granted bail in the sum of $5,000.

Donovan, from Carrot Bay on the main island of Tortola, copped the Farmer of the Year award for the years 2005, 2006 and 2015.

13 Responses to “Champion farmer Renardis 'Aukie' Donovan to face trial for ganja cultivation ”

  • Ya me born (15/05/2016, 10:09) Like (15) Dislike (1) Reply
    Free up d man -sure there's more pressing issues for the court to deal with than persecuting a man for the herb
  • ccc (15/05/2016, 10:37) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    Legalize the weed
  • Legalize it! (15/05/2016, 10:51) Like (22) Dislike (1) Reply
    Stop harassing our “herbs” farmers. The fact is- many healing properties can be derived from this herb. This conversation needs greater awareness and discussions by as many diverse perspectives so that the education of its various usages and exploration into which forms, would be more beneficial to the body. “This herb should be part of the natural healing of our people” instead of all those conventional synthetic medicated drugs which have been poisoning us even faster than this herb, given to us by these legal drug pushers we call, conventional medical doctors. We need to get more serious in this place and focus on tracking down the real murderers hiding within our midst.
  • Lord o (15/05/2016, 11:16) Like (16) Dislike (1) Reply
    Our legislators are our enemies... Change the law. Pull up the trees give the man a ticket and a warning. He is not a criminal. Don't make him one.
  • free up (15/05/2016, 12:13) Like (19) Dislike (0) Reply
    Away with the oppressive laws...We have the soil, climate and Champion Farmer has the human resources... Would pay better to give him one or more of them greenhouses by Paraquita...
  • simple (15/05/2016, 13:57) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    Someone drop a dime on the man. This man don't bother anyone. The man is one hell of a good farmer. Donovan, always keep your grass trim low so you can spot the two headed snakes. Hold you head up and keep being the good farmer that you are. This to shall past.
  • I Fon Here (15/05/2016, 14:47) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
    this is a waste of court time leave the man alone he from here
    • mary j (15/05/2016, 17:39) Like (4) Dislike (2) Reply
      Please come forward with your facts as you will be doing a great service to our country.
      • @mary J (15/05/2016, 20:24) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
        Got you covered, here it is. View links to start the discussion:
        http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NeJMp1000695

        This one you can review the entire study at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College academic empirical studies research access website: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2338266

        The conversations are still evolving since law enforcement agencies, Big Pharma, and conventional doctors have been fighting against the use for decades; due in part that their business profits might start declining if controls were not put in placed to protect them.
  • wize up (15/05/2016, 17:06) Like (18) Dislike (1) Reply
    over 20 unsolved murders in this territory and the police still out there !ucking around people for weed(home grown weed, I could see if the idren was importing the weed).....I guess the only matters the prosecution can claim victory is in petty offences because serious offences the prosecution can't get any convictions..
  • Stop chat time for @ction (17/05/2016, 23:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Mark next court date demonstrate for our GOD. Given wright 22nd July
    No respect
    Father Earthday 23rd, July
    What is the devil. Trying
    Herb for use of. Man


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