Pubdate: Tue, 16 Aug 2005
Source: Dose (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 - DOSE
Contact:  http://www.dose.ca/vancouver/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3875
Author: Jennifer Selk
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?196 (Emery, Marc)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

EMERY WARNS CUSTOMERS

"You may be in danger." That's the message from Emery Seeds, the 
now-defunct marijuana seed distribution owned by pot activist MARC EMERY, 
who now faces extradition to the U.S. after being arrested at the request 
of the American Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in July.

EMERY's physical seed shop was raided and shut down. Now, staff at Emery 
Seeds say anyone who's ever bought from the online retailer had better 
beware: the DEA might be looking for them. "We feel very strongly that this 
is Law Enforcement trying to sweep up a lot of our customers, many whom are 
growers," said JODIE GIESZ of emeryseeds.com.

According to GIESZ, approximately 200 to 300 seed orders sent out in June 
were likely intercepted by the DEA. She said she believes the DEA is now 
trying to "trick" those buyers into admitting they requested the contraband 
seeds by sending them a "fake" letter, which purports to be from the 
distribution company and asks recipients to confirm their order.

GIESZ said responding to this letter and confirming any order would be 
tantamount to an admission of guilt, but reassured customers Emery Seeds 
had protected its clients and nothing the DEA seized from the company's 
headquarters -- records of outgoing orders, for example -- implied clients 
listed were actually requesting the contraband seeds.

"(The DEA) can't prove that pieces of mail are seed orders," she said. 
"What they can do is send their own mail to all of those addresses, with a 
letter included posing as Marc Emery Direct."

By press time, neither the Vancouver Police Department nor the DEA had 
returned calls for comment.

EMERY isn't giving up. On Sunday, he posted the following message of 
defiance on his Cannabis Culture website: "If Canada becomes prohibition 
free, then American prohibition will fall. But if the United States 
government is allowed to triumph with intimidation, blackmail and increased 
arrests in Canada, stifling our progress, sending Canada backwards, then 
liberation for all North America is that much more elusive. Please help us, 
MARC EMERY."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom