Pubdate: Mon, 01 Oct 2007
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2007 The Edmonton Journal
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Stuart Hunter, CanWest News Service

HIGH LOONIE HAMPERS POT EXPORTS TO U.S.

VANCOUVER - Canada's soaring loonie and an increasing number of U.S. 
marijuana producers are combining to upset British Columbia's 
traditional north-south flow of illegal weed, says the man dubbed the 
Prince of Pot.

Marc Emery said in an interview that with the loonie at parity with 
the American dollar, it's no longer lucrative enough for smugglers to 
risk taking it across the border. Instead, they can earn almost as 
much by transporting it within Canada, with emerging markets, such as 
Newfoundland, taking up the slack.

"In the old days (2002), a pound that cost $1,600 here would go for 
$3,500 US, so it was enough of an incentive to make it worth the 
risk," Emery said. "Now, it costs $2,400 US for a pound, so it's not 
lucrative enough. Canadian pot has gone up by almost 50 per cent."

Emery said he's been told that many American homeowners, who may lose 
their homes due to the U.S. mortgage crisis, are setting up grow-ops 
to save their homes, bypassing the need for Canuck weed.

"Rather than losing their home, people are taking their chances 
converting part of their house into a grow-op to help cover the 
shortfall. That was normal in B.C. 10 years ago (there was a downturn 
in traditional B.C. resource-based sectors)," said Emery, founder of 
the B.C. Marijuana Party.

Emery said Mexico's pot producers selling to the United States also 
are benefitting, due to the relatively weak peso.

Western Canadian producers are eyeing markets such as Alberta, 
Saskatchewan and Newfoundland to take up the slack.

Emery, who once sold marijuana seeds via air mail primarily to the 
U.S., is facing extradition by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. He's 
due in court Jan. 21, 2008.
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