Pubdate: Thu, 02 Sep 2004
Source: Westender (Vancouver, CN BC)
Copyright: 2004 WestEnder
Contact:  http://www.westender.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1243
Author: Brian Peterson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?196 (Emery, Marc)

PASSING A JOINT SET TO BECOME BIGGER CRIME

The other day I almost crashed the car when a stunning young woman
crossed the street in front of me. It wasn't her go-go boots, teeny
skirt and electric smile that distracted me. 'Twas her well-fit "Free
Marc Emery" T-shirt that made me want to roll down the window and
shout, "I love you! Keep up the good work!"

As you may know, the head of the BC Marijuana Party is currently
languishing in a Saskatoon jail after Saskatchewan provincial court
judge Albert Lavoie sentenced Emery to three months for passing a
joint after a legalization rally at the local university last year.
His crime was not simple possession but in the eyes of the
court...trafficking!

I was gobsmacked by the severity of the sentence. How many citizens
even know that such a decent social act, which was not even directly
witnessed by the arresting officers, could carry such a penalty? But
indeed Canadian law currently makes no distinction among drugs or
amounts of drugs. Even if no money changes hands, it's considered drug
trafficking and carries a possible seven-year sentence.

I knew I was not exactly a model citizen but I had no idea I was
actually an evil trafficker every time I passed a spliff over the
chessboard. I thought I was just being neighbourly. Turns out I
should've bogarted the joint all to myself and offered the excuse,
"Sorry, I don't want to be convicted of trafficking" to all the
appalled guests.

The implications of this sentence are even more disturbing in a
post-9/11 world where TERRORISTS are funding their evil deeds with the
profits of the drug trade. Could it be that Dick Cheney was right and
this country is actually swarming with Osama's minions!?

My gawd! There's an Orange Alert going off in my head right now. I
better carefully self-medicate (all by my lonesome) so I can more
reasonably consider the bizarro state of the union. Ahhhhhh, better
now....

Well, I sure hope Judge Lavoie knows what he's doing cuz I can't help
but think this boner is going to boomerang back in his face. Every
time a cannabis activist or budget-conscious teetotaler considers the
victimless nature of the crime, the squandering of scarce public
resources and illogic of incarcerating the nonviolent Emery with other
dangerous offenders they might be tempted to lash off another angry
letter to the editor or to Justice Minister and Attorney General of
Canada Irwin Cotler at 284 Wellington Street, Ottawa ON, K1A OH8,
email  to protest the Draconian sentence.

What's more, the longer a skilled media hound like Emery languishes in
prison the more grease is shined on his martyr's armour. Emery is
conducting beaucoup interviews, which are all posted at the Pot TV
website. He claims he's not suffering, although he did spend three
hours the other morning scrubbing the accumulated grunge of 20 years
off his cellblock floor. Emery makes no mention of the availability of
God's most sacred and perfect plant behind the bars of the Saskatoon
hoosgow. He's grateful for the letters of support and glad to be a
catalyst for people's activism.

This fall, the feds will reintroduce their flawed new marijuana
decriminalization legislation which, if passed, will mean those caught
in possession of small amounts of pot will get tickets instead of
criminal charges. Unfortunately, the trafficking designation for
passing a joint will remain in effect and the government is expecting
this so-called "decriminalization" to lead to more enforcement of the
ban on marijuana possession.

I'm sure hoping that the players in this minority government will flex
their muscles and put big pressure on the Liberals to stop ass-kissing
the American drug czar and reform their bill to accurately reflect the
pro-pot sentiment in this country.

If they don't, then Emery will be proved right when he says that
prohibition is really about quashing free thinkers and keeping the
citizenry frightened of, and dependent on, the government. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake