State Republican Party officials say the chairman of the Cherokee County GOP has resigned after being arrested on drug charges.
State GOP chairman Bill Armistead tells the Gadsden Times that 52-year-old John Lloyd Ellis was arrested after police found marijuana on his property. Armistead says Ellis has resigned and the GOP has no further comment.
The newspaper reports Ellis was charged with marijuana possession and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver says the Alabama Bureau of Investigation participated in the operation that led to Ellis' arrest. Shaver says 600 marijuana plants were found growing throughout the county during the recent investigation, and more arrests are possible.
It's unclear if Ellis has an attorney and a phone message left for him wasn't immediately returned.
