Pubdate: Sat, 06 Aug 2005
Source: Maple Ridge News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Maple Ridge News
Contact:  http://www.mapleridgenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1328
Author: Aldergrove Star
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE

Marc Emery, the colourful leader of the B.C. Marijuana Party who failed to 
win the Fort Langley-Aldergrove seat in the recent provincial election, was 
arrested last week in an international police operation that alleges his 
Internet marijuana seed sales were destined for the U.S.

He's currently being held in Canada for extradition hearings that could 
take up to two years and may result in his extradition to the U.S. on the 
charges. While Canada has a much more lenient or tolerant attitude on the 
subject than our counterparts in the U.S., some of the reaction on this 
side of the border has been over the top.

Certainly the arrest and raid on Emery's Vancouver marijuana business was 
done by Canadian authorities in coordination with the U.S. Drug Enforcement 
Administration, and Emery faces severe penalties in the U.S. if extradited 
and convicted, but any hand-wringing over our "loss of sovereignty" is 
unrealistic.

Canadians have long cooperated with U.S. authorities in international 
criminal investigations. And, despite Canada's consideration of more 
lenient laws regarding marijuana, it remains a criminal offence on both 
sides of the border. There would be a massive outcry here if Canadians 
didn't cooperate with Americans in prosecuting murderers, kidnappers, child 
molesters and stock swindlers. In that sense, Emery is no different - he 
stands accused of illegally exporting seeds into the U.S.

The fact that it's an Internet business bears no weight in the argument. In 
cases of Internet child pornography, no right-thinking Canadian would want 
to interfere with the extradition of a person accused of this crime. 
Canadians have seen the humour in the recent Aldergrove drug tunnel bust, 
but it's only funny because it was shut down so quickly. It would not have 
been so humourous if hard narcotics and illegal weapons had started coming 
this way into Canada.
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MAP posted-by: Beth