Pubdate: Tue, 12 Aug 2014
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Vancouver 24 hrs.
Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters
Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: Giuseppe Valiante
Page: 5

CANADA'S ROYAL COUPLE OF MARIJUANA HAS BIG PLANS AFTER EMERY'S
RELEASE

Marc and Jodie Emery, Canada's royal couple of marijuana, plan to take
their drug-reform fight global after Marc returns home from the U.S. a
free man.

Soon after Marc walks across the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit into
Windsor, Ont., Tuesday afternoon, Jodie said the couple will fly to
Ireland and Spain on sponsored speaking gigs.

Jodie has waited over four years for her husband, once the largest
supplier of marijuana seeds to the U.S., to finish his sentence for
conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.

Dubbed the Prince of Pot, Marc made millions selling his seeds across
the border from his British Columbia based company and drew the ire of
the U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency, which successfully got him
extradited from Canada in 2010.

Jodie said when they return from Europe they'll "be on a cross-country
welcome home tour" during which they'll campaign for drug reform in
Canada and for their new favourite political party, the federal Liberals.

Ten years ago, Marc and Jodie supported the NDP, which "at least
talked about" legalization, she said.

Now their man is Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who supports marijuana
legalization.

Jodie said she received her official Liberal nomination papers this
week for the riding of Vancouver East, which has been held by the
NDP's Libby Davies since 1997.

Jodie said the reaction to her candidacy from Liberal party insiders
has been "mixed."

"I've received messages from insiders who are thrilled, and from
Liberal party members asking why I'm (joining the party)," she said.

If Jodie wins the nomination but loses the federal election because of
her ties to Marc - a convicted felon - she said the people of
Vancouver East will still have "a wonderful parliamentarian."

"I love Libby (Davies)," Jodie said. "She's amazing."

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[sidebar]

Pot laws have changed since Emery's arrest

Marc Emery returns home this week after spending nearly five years in
a U.S. prison for selling marijuana seeds by mail order to American
customers - an offence that probably wouldn't get him arrested today.

Emery opened his Cannabis Culture shop in Vancouver in 1994. Police
raided his store three times, but he received nothing worse than a
fine until 2005, when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency charged him
under that country 's stricter laws.

Here's how pot laws have changed since Emery was charged.

* Jan. 3, 2006: Medical marijuana becomes legal in Rhode Island. Nine
other U. S. states already have medical pot laws.

* Nov. 6, 2012: Colorado and Washington become the first U. S. states
to legalize pot for recreational use.

* June 19, 2013: The Canadian government introduces Marijuana for
Medical Purposes regulations to replace the Marijuana Medical Access
Program, in effect since 2001. Under the new rules, set to go into
effect April 1, 2014, individuals can no longer be growers; eligible
patients must obtain their medical marijuana from licensed commercial
producers. Marijuana is still not approved by Health Canada.

* Mar. 21, 2014: Just ahead of the April 1 deadline, Federal Court
issues an injunction against the government's plan to end
grow-your-own medical pot for licensed users. The issue remains unresolved.

* Aug. 8, 2014: Washington s t a t e announces that its first month of
recreational pot sales, in July, was expected to net $ 1 million in
tax revenue on $ 3.8 million in sales. Medical marijuana is now legal
in 23 states and the District of Columbia.
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MAP posted-by: Matt