Pubdate: Sat, 30 Jul 2005
Source: Daily News, The (CN NS)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily News
Contact:  http://www.hfxnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/179
Author:  Richard Dooley
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?196 (Emery, Marc)

COPS ARREST B.C. POT ACTIVIST IN VALLEY

Hemp Fest is one bud short of a guest speaker this year. The second annual 
marijuana festival in Lawrencetown, Annapolis Co., lists B.C. Marijuana 
Party leader and pot activist Marc Emery as a guest speaker for the music 
and weed weekend.

But Emery was arrested outside a Lawrencetown restaurant before he arrived 
at the Lawrencetown Exhibition Grounds for the festival yesterday afternoon.

He was held in a cell at Halifax police headquarters last night, but will 
likely be remanded to the Burnside jail to await his transfer to B.C. early 
next week.

"We expect him to be charged with trafficking and cultivation of 
marijuana," said Halifax Regional Police spokesman Const. Mark Hobeck.

Halifax Regional Police Halifax RCMP Integrated Drug Unit plainclothes 
officers made the arrest just after 2:15 p.m. yesterday.

Hobeck said Emery was co-operative with police and didn't say much to the 
arresting officers.

Police had Emery under surveillance in Halifax and tailed him to the 
Annapolis Valley where he was scheduled to speak during the festival.

Vancouver police requested he be arrested around the same time they raided 
his Vancouver business.

A store employee told a Vancouver radio station that police arrived with a 
search warrant shortly before 11 a.m.

The charges outlined in the search warrant indicate the raid was conducted 
on behalf of the U.S. government, CKNW said.

The Vancouver store that was raided, named Toker's Bowl, is adjacent to the 
New Amsterdam Cafe where people have been smoking marijuana openly for years.

Several people gathered outside the store to protest the raid, many holding 
anti-American signs.

Police sealed off the store and covered the windows with paper while they 
conducted their search.

The search warrant sets out a long list of requests made by the United 
States to the Vancouver police department.

It asks police to seize cash and receipts, client lists and other records 
identifying purchasers of goods from Emery, and employee records, including 
applications for employment. It also asks for business and company 
incorporation documents, leases, rental agreements, computers, hard drives, 
diskettes and CD-ROMs.

A witness in Lawrencetown said Emery was leaving the Lawrenctown Restaurant 
just after 2 p.m. when six plainclothes police officers arrested him.

His red Chevrolet rental car remained parked in front of the restaurant for 
several hours until police drove it away.

Debbie Stultz-Giffon, chairwoman of Maritimers United for Medical Marijuana 
said Emery was scheduled to speak several times over the weekend and 
perform as an emcee. "He was here to support us and enjoy the festival," 
she said. "He was definitely a headliner."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom