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'Prince of Pot' Now 'Marijuana Martyr'
Pubdate: Tue, 29 Sep 2009
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2009 The Edmonton Journal
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/letters.html
Website: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Marc+Emery
'PRINCE OF POT' NOW 'MARIJUANA MARTYR'
Vancouver's Marc Emery Awaits Extradition for Shipping Marijuana
Seeds to the U. S.
Canada's self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot" was escorted out of B. C.
Supreme Court and into jail Monday to await extradition to the U. S.,
where he is to serve up to five years in prison for shipping marijuana
seeds across the border.
Marc Emery, 51, was indicted in 2005 along with two associates on drug
and money-laundering charges stemming from a lucrative mail-order
pot-seed business run out of Emery's Vancouver book and paraphernalia
shop, which also doubled as B. C.'s Marijuana Party
headquarters.
Two charges Emery faced--conspiracy to distribute marijuana and
conspiracy to engage in money laundering-- were dropped in exchange
for his guilty plea on the charge of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.
He has agreed to a five-year imprisonment plea bargain in connection
with his $3-million a year marijuana seed catalogue business, where
most of his customers were American.
Canadian authorities drew criticism for helping the U. S. nab Emery
because he openly participated in an operation that drew little heat
in Canada.
Emery was convicted in Canada of selling pot seeds in 1998 and given
a $2,000 fine.
Emery's two associates, Michelle Rainey, 38, and Gregory Williams, 54,
were recently sentenced in the U. S. to two years probation for
conspiracy to manufacture marijuana as a result of a plea deal.
As Emery left the tiny courtroom, his wife Jody wept in the public
gallery while a crowd of the cannabis crusader's followers chanted:
"Free Marc Emery!"
As he was led away, he yelled: "I love you, Jody Emery. Plant the
seeds of freedom; overgrow the government!"
Emery will be held for 30 days to give him time to appeal and then,
once the federal justice minister has signed the removal order, Emery
will be handed over to the U. S.
Now dubbed the country's first "marijuana martyr," Emery recently
wrapped up a 30-city "farewell tour" across Canada.
He is also hoping a transfer agreement allowing Canadians convicted
and jailed in the U. S. to serve their time back home will play in his
favour.
"The same seeds I sold are being sold right in America...There's a
terrible hypocrisy at work here," said Emery.
"There isn't a single victim in my case, no one who can stand up and
say, 'I was hurt by Marc Emery.' No one."
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