Pubdate: Sat, 17 Sep 2005
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 The Sydney Morning Herald
Contact:  http://www.smh.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/441
Author: Duncan Campbell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?196 (Emery, Marc)

US CHASES CANADIAN POT PRINCE

One of the world's leading cannabis legalisation campaigners, a magazine
publisher known as the "Prince of Pot", faced an extradition hearing
yesterday in Vancouver, Canada, as American drug agencies sought to put him
on trial in the US.

Marc Emery's supporters say the move is a first step by American authorities
to prosecute foreigners who challenge US laws on cannabis.

Mr Emery, publisher of the magazine Cannabis Culture, faces charges of
trafficking in marijuana seeds and money laundering. His supporters have
been demonstrating outside Canadian embassies in more than 30 countries
during the past week to urge Canada's authorities not to yield to pressure
from the US and hand him over, arguing he could face a life jail sentence if
they did so.

A former bookseller, Mr Emery became a cannabis campaigner 15 years ago,
angered by a ban on selling publications that promoted cannabis use. He has
since become one of the best-known figures in the cannabis debate worldwide
and operates the small television station Pot-TV. Cannabis Culture, founded
in 1994, promotes the sale of marijuana seeds.

Mr Emery has paid $C578,000 ($640,000) in personal taxes since 1999 on
income from the sale of the seeds. He describes himself on his tax returns
as a marijuana seed vendor and sends a copy of his magazine to every
Canadian MP.

The main charges he would face in the US are for selling the seeds -
considered international trafficking. Money laundering charges might be
levelled because the profits he makes from the sales are used to promote the
legalisation of cannabis.

Mr Emery describes what he does as "revolutionary retail" or "capitalist
activism".
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MAP posted-by: Josh