The chairman of the Cherokee County, Alabama Republican Party has resigned after he was arrested Friday when police allegedly found marijuana plants on his property, the Gadsden Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.
State GOP Chairman Bill Armistead had little to say about the arrest, but confirmed John Loyd Ellis was the GOP chairman for Cherokee County and had resigned, according to The Times.
“We will allow legal and judicial system to follow its course,” Armistead told the newspaper.
The Times reported that Ellis was charged with first-degree unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Ellis’ arrest was part of a county “eradication” effort. Cherokee police officers found and destroyed 600 plants on Friday, the Times reported.
