Kudakwashe Jarasi, a farmer from Macheke, has been acquitted of charges relating to the cultivation of 88 marijuana plants. During the trial at the Marondera Magistrates Court, police presented the plants as evidence against Jarasi, as well as his neighbour, Surprise Chitate, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison. However, Jarasi’s lawyer argued that the plants could be potatoes or lantana camara plants, and there was no forensic evidence to prove they were marijuana. The argument was successful, and Jarasi was acquitted of all charges. Mazanhi said:
<blockquote>
Your worship, these plants are not dagga or marijuana, they could be potatoes or lantana camara plants. There is no forensic evidence from the police officers that these plants are, indeed, that of marijuana.
</blockquote>
The argument was successful, and Jarasi was acquitted of all charges by Magistrate Esther Mabika. Speaking outside the court after the judgment, Mazanhi said:
<blockquote>
Apart from the fact that there was no forensic evidence on whether the plants are marijuana or not, I argued that my client is not the one who lives at the farm.
He hires labourers and some of them smoke dagga (marijuana) and drop their seeds in the field, or it could be his mother or wife. There was no case at all.
</blockquote>
According to the judgment, there was no tangible evidence linking Jarasi to the offence, and the plants could have been planted by anyone. The arrest of the two farmers drew attention on social media, with people hailing the police officers for their actions in the fight against drug and substance use by the nation’s youth. Nonetheless, Jarasi is now a free man.
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Lawyer Frees Client By Arguing Marijuana Plants Not Sufficient Evidence

<a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Harare_City_FC">Harare City FC</a> player Jerry Chipangura (24) has been jailed for 14 months for possessing 40g of methylenedioxymethamphetamine – commonly known as mutoriro.
Chipangura intended to sell in the city, <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/harare-city-player-jailed-for-mutoriro/">The Herald</a> reported.
He was jailed by Harare regional magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka.
<h2>What happened:</h2>
The court heard that on June 30 2022, at around 8 pm, police were informed that Chipangura was dealing in meth in Mabvuku, Harare.
Detectives went to New Mabvuku where they found him along John Tapedza Road.
The detectives identified themselves before searching him and found 40g of meth in a small Adidas black bag that he was carrying.
The drug was in two sachets.
Field tests on the drug carried out in his presence tested positive for meth.
Drug abuse has been on the rise in recent years to the extent that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had to <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/09/05/mnangagwa-appoints-task-force-to-deal-with-drug-abuse/">appoint a task force to hunt down drug peddlers.</a>
Most abused drugs include ganja cakes, a prohibited cough syrup called BronCleer (bronco), mbanje and illicit beers known as “musombodhiya” in street lingo.
Drug abuse has had severe effects on abusers’ health with some even dying.
A report released previously noted that <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Parirenyatwa_Group_of_Hospitals">Parirenyatwa Hospital</a> attends to about <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/09/25/psychiatric-units-overwhelmed-by-drug-abuse-linked-mental-health-cases/">800 mental health patients monthly with most of the ailments being related to drugs.</a>
Admission is only for those with serious illnesses that they cannot go back home while most of them are sent back home after treatment.
Most patients have complications arising from crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as “mutoriro”, “dombo” or “guka.”
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