Self-proclaimed “Great Canadian”, marijuana activist and hero, president of the B.C. Marijuana Party, and Vancouver Canucks fan, Marc Emery, turned himself in this morning for extradition to the United States and a five year prison sentence for selling marijuana seeds over the internet to Americans from Canada. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson signed the extradition order this morning. Emery has been out on bail since last fall while Nicholson considered going through with sending Emery, who’s been eligible for extradition since early January, to the US. And, in keeping pace with history, the Canadian government has never refused an American request for extradition.
“I think of myself as a great Canadian – I’ve worked my whole life for individual freedom in this country, I’ve never asked for anything in return,” Emery said outside B.C. Supreme Court in downtown Vancouver, this morning.
“I am absolutely devstated that this Conservative government has opted to send my husband, a Canadian citizen, to the United States for a ‘crime’ that amounts to a $200 dollar fine in Canada,” said Jodie Emery. “This case is about silencing my Husband for his marijuana activism. This Conservative government has declared a culture war in Canada and my husband is it’s latest victim.”
Emery, along with two of his Cannabis Culture magazine employees were originally charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana and money laundering.
Emery ran his magazine, seed and head shop businesses openly and transparently, declaring all of his income and paying all required taxes. The government of Canada received about $378,000 generated from Emery’s businesses and the provincial government of British Columbia has received about $200,000. Every Member of Parliament in Canada, all 305, had a free subscription to Cannabis Culture magazine, which had Emery’s seed catalog in every issue. Nobody ever complained…until Emery embarrassed the Bush administration by speaking out against the failing War on Drugs and how it was affecting Canadians.
As a result, American prosecutors were outraged and claimed Emery was the largest marijuana producer in the history of the U.S. criminal justice system. They claim he sold about four million marijuana seeds and that 75% of those seeds went to the United States.
At first, the penalties facing Emery and his employee’s were staggering. Emery looked at life imprisonment and under Drug Kingpin legislation he could be executed…as selling over 60,000 seeds qualified him for the death penalty in the United States! Charges were dropped against the two employees as part of a plea agreement; Emery would spend 5 years in a US prison for selling seeds from his desk.
To the marijuana movement, Emery has given away over $4,000,000 to activist groups worldwide looking for political change, for ballot initiatives throughout the United States, referendums, court challenges, Supreme Court of Canada challenges, refugees, bail costs, legal defense funds, political parties, individuals, drug addiction clinics, media, medical bills for activists (Terence McKenna, Jack Herer), Compassion Clubs (legal bills and start-up money), Hemp fests, conferences, Global Marijuana Marches (2000 to 2005), full page ads in Canadian newspapers, HEMP BC Legal Assistance Centre… and the list goes on.
As a direct result of Mark Emery, Canada’s opinion of weed has permanently been changed. When he began, eleven years ago, there was no marijuana movement in Canada. High Times magazine was ILLEGAL in Canada (section 462.2 of the Criminal Code provided up to 6 months in jail, and/or up to a $100,000 fine for distributing books and any printed matter about marijuana or any illicit drug) and so were videos, pipes, bongs, everything and anything about marijuana was illegal in Canada.
Along with all the good has come the bad; America’s War on Drugs has now targeted Canada’s 7 to 15 billion dollar weed industry! Millions and millions of pot-smokin’ Canadians deal with millions and millions of pot-smokin’ Americans daily and now any marijuana transaction that incorporates the USA could lead to a conspiracy to import marijuana into the United States.
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23 Responses to “Canada Extradites Prince of Pot Marc Emery”
Jason Bender
This is absolutely appalling. To think, the US can bring over heroine from Afghanistan to help support that country USING THIER MILITARY but when a Canadian citizen mails out a few million seeds to help their country and a cause that they believe in, then they are sent to jail. I think there needs to be a change to the system because what they’re doing is wrong.
Marc Emery never even took the mass of his profits. He donated it to the marijuana movement trying to correct something that needed corrected. Marijuana should not be illegal and everyone knows it. The US government however are taking the profits from Afgghanistan so that the Taliban does not get it. Sure, thats a good idea but should you be importing it into your own country and then jailing the people you sell it to? That doesn’t make much sense.
End the war on drugs. It has not been effective and only ruins peoples lives. Free Marc Emery and change the world. Make it at least a bearable place to live in.
Ken K. Chartrand
Are there large numbers of the”Mariuana Movemen” in the United States? Just curious.
The Guitar Hero
If Obama had any morals he would have stopped this nonsense long ago, and it would have barely even made the news in the U.S. This just shows that he’s Bush II
konhachi
Fuck you, America. I suppose they’ll start extraditing people from other Countries and locking them up in Prisons too. What’s next? If the Americans by some chance make contact with Aliens on Mars (I know, it won’t happen) and find out they smoke Marijuana, are they going to arrest them too?
America is a bully.
Mr.Bud
Im embarrassed to be an American on this day! Im sorry to the rest of the world that our government is out of control,i assure you if things dont change soon we the American people will fix our government!
w
Sharks are San Jose not Vancouver…
too much pot bro
SideByEach
The fascists should keep their fascist hands off our citizens. What’s wrong? The empire running out of its own citizens to throw in jail?
Ape
This is beyond the control of Obama as Bush and his party were involved in this or aggravated because of this amazing man’s testament to his believes. Its a sad day when the world blames one man’s pursuit for his values to the WHOLE UNITED STATES (that being Bush the moron). Yeah, he is suppose to represent the USA, but the majority of our country didn’t agree with 90% of what he did. Matter of fact, our country is suffering more and more from the result of his 8 year term.
I am proud to be American and I wouldn’t have a problem saying that to your face. But I do have a problem with this injustice and absolutely poor utilization of resources to pursue this man. Canada and the US has always worked very closely with each other and will continue to base their reactions for the relationship we have with one another. Why create enemies with neighbors.
FREE EMERY and FREE all government minds on what is actually killing our people, its not Marijuana. Its big business, big oil, big pharmaceutical business. Please GOD HELP US!
admin
of course we know the Sharks are here in the Bay Area, yo! We write this shit from Oaksterdam. But, you’re right about too much pot, tho…
YUSSS
This is just obscene. Really, 5 years to life or CANNABIS!? I’m glad the initiative to legalize it in California made the ballot for NOV. 2010! Definitely going to be voting for that!
YUSSS
And yes, I am embarrassed to be American! (Well im half/half Canadian/American) I’m moving the hell back to Vancouver! Our government is so corrupt, and theyre all such pansy asses. They need to stop worrying about what everyone else will think about them and just be progressive already. LEGALIZE POT AND LEGALIZE GAY
Anonymous
I was talking to him the last week before he surrendered…no offense, he doesn’t deserve to be in a US prison. American Drug Policy is such a #buzzkill (again no offense)
2pogi4u
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Pete
Thing like this make me embarrassed to be an American. Also WTF Canadian Courts!!! You should have kept telling our government to go fuck it’s self. Civil rights fail on both Countries!
Daniel Dolvin
As an American with a Canadian mother and a lot of family in Canada, I am thoroughly
DISGUSTED with the US government’s actions.
After reading that the DEA actually got their extradition pushed through, I immediately wrote long letters to my congressman (not that it’ll do any fucking good!). When are other governments going to stop the federal US bullies from infringing upon rights of their own citizens? What a sickening display of power! I will soon expatriate to Canada if I can, I can no longer be a part of this country, It turns my stomach to think that this is the “beacon of freedom” my country has become. What a fucking joke!!!! I have always been, and now may forever remain, far more afraid of bullshit “raids” and government interference in my life than I have ever feared “druggies” This extradition should serve as a wake up call to the rest of the world that the US is VASTLY overstepping it’s authority regarding foreign relations. Someday, maybe this will actually be a country governed by the people, for the people, again,but until that day, FUCK THE US.
–DAN D.
LES WILSON
SHAME ON EVERY PERSON THAT WORKS IN THE CANADIAN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE CONSERVATIVE AND LIBERAL PARTY.
A SAD DAY FOR OUR COUNTRY WHEN WE BOW DOWN TO THE ARCHAIC US LAWS REGARDING MARIJUANA ANS ESPECIALLY SEEDS.
robert
AY FUK YALL ITS BADASS BEING AMERICAN we just need to ledalize weed and it will happen trust but untiil then im goin to canada (ROLL UP) wo and that guy up there in the picture is my fucking hero
peter
you guys are talking like the american citizens like whats going on…im an American and believe me Americans hate the government for this as much as you guys do do. Ita all scare tactics from the government they always do this they go after big name pothead in our country to make an example of them…for example tommy chong did 9 months for having a bong…its rediculous. Most citizens though never do jailtime for weed only if your caught with like more than 32 grams, its usually a fine or community service or some shit but DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA AND FREE MARC EMERY!
Name
fuck the US
Ike
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Dylan Ponzi
Your side lost two conservati-ve celebritie-s to Alzheimer’-s (Reagan and Heston) and yet you make jokes.Typical right-wing-er, completely incapable of empathy.diablo3 gold
Chaotic
Sometimes I’m embarrassed to be an American. This would be one of those times.
Ganjagrams
This is so unacceptable, marijuana is a plant why are people still getting arrested for having a PLANT for medication.