Otego Man Allegedly and Unsuccessfully Attempts to Combine Prayer and Pot

An Otego man was arrested on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at approximately 8:30pm after police say that he left behind marijuana plants that he was allegedly growing in a cabin at a monastery.

According to a written release troopers say they were called to the Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery to investigate a report of a man trespassing in a cabin on Bert Washburn Road in Otego, New York.

31-Year-old Christopher D. Davis had been allowed to stay at the cabin for a few nights.

Officials say that Davis then refused to leave the cabin.  When he did after more than two weeks New York State Police say he left behind marijuana plants.

The Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery sits on more than 200 acres and is run by women of the Orthodox Church in America.  The farms on their property are home to sheep, goats, poultry, and several working dogs.  Their crops include grass grown for hay but not the type grown as a psychoactive or for medical purposes.

After determining that the marijuana at the cabin allegedly belonged to Davis, he was formally charged him with the following:

• criminal trespass (second degree, a misdemeanor)
• unlawful growing of cannabis