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Jules Stobbs and Myrtle Clark have come to be known as ‘the dagga couple’, their landmark trial in the Pretoria High Court being keenly watched.

The couple are attempting to legalise marijuana, enlisting the help of international expert witnesses (criminologists, sociologists, toxicologists and others) to highlight how ridiculous the current laws are.

Monday saw the trial begin, but it was immediately marred by the kind of legal ‘red tape’ that drives most of us mad. According to Times LIVE, this could have dire consequences for their chances of success:

A key witness in the case‚ US oncology professor Donald Abrams‚ is unlikely to get a chance to testify.

Abrams‚ who studies the medical use of marijuana to treat pain and muscle spasms‚ is due to leave the country on Saturday.

He was to testify at the start of the trial on Monday but has been forced to sit on the sidelines while issues related to the application are before the court.

Stobbs and Myrtle Clarke…flew Abrams to South Africa to testify in court. His first-class ticket cost R180 000.

This is the first time Abrams has ever agreed to testify, and now it all seems to have been in vain:

“How do I feel [about not testifying]? Well‚ I travelled 10‚000 miles to be here and will travel 10‚000 miles back. I feel frustrated and totally distraught‚” he said angrily.

As for the state – well, they don’t seem in any kind of hurry:

The state has not handed in its evidence that explains with studies or experts‚ why it is opposing the bid to have the law that criminalises the use of dagga unconstitutional.

This emerged in the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday when the Dagga couple’s advocate Don Mahon said he was yet to receive it. It was due on March 30‚ he told the court…

The state spent Wednesday trying to have much of the evidence supporting the adult use of dagga thrown out of the trial.

Mahon was responding to the state’s bid to have all the annexures to the dagga couple’s evidence struck out of court‚ when he mentioned the state had not provided their evidence…

Mahon said that the state’s attempt to get evidence thrown out was “vexatious” as the evidence was handed in in September and the state’s application was handed in on day one of the trial‚ 10 months later.

“They had 10 months to read the annexures.”

It’s just so frustrating when every single thing that heads to court ends up grinding along at a snail’s pace.

Let’s meet the dagga couple in the meantime:

Preach.

[sources:timeslive&timeslive]