Jules Stobb, of the Dagga Couple, shot dead during a burglary

Jules Stobbs, one half of the famous South African couple The Dagga Couple, was shot and killed during an armed robbery on his property.

The announcement was made in a Facebook post: «In the early hours of Friday, July 3, 2020, an armed robbery took place at the home of Jules Stobbs and Myrtle Clarke, better known as The Dagga Couple. The assailants entered the couple’s bedroom, and Jules Stobbs was shot and fatally wounded. Myrtle was not physically injured, and the assailants left with two cell phones and two laptops. The cannabis community mourns the passing of our hero. The family asks the public to respect their privacy and to give Myrtle and the family space during this difficult time. Thank you for the outpouring of love we have already received.»

According to local testimonials, four men reportedly stormed the property. A struggle between the suspects and Jules Stobb reportedly led to the suspects fleeing, only to return later and shoot and kill Jules Stobb. He died at the scene, while Myrtle Clarke was unharmed and suffered no physical injuries.

The Dagge Couple

Jules Stobbs and Myrtle Clarke were arrested in 2010 at their home on charges of drug possession and trafficking. «We were so outraged by how the police treated us that we sued seven government departments for enacting illegal laws,» Myrtle Clarke likes to explain.

Since the High Court in Pretoria in 2013, their legal battle has continued until the decision of the Constitutional Court in September 2018 which legalized the personal and private use of dagga, the South African name for cannabis. The country has two years to update its legislation, a deadline that falls in September 2020.

The couple then joined other activists in a movement called Fields of Green for All, to reduce the barriers posed by South Africa’s current cannabis regulations, including for those arrested for its use, cultivation, and trade.