Marc Emery

Marc Scott Emery (born February 13, 1958) is a Canadian cannabis advocate, as well as a former marijuana seed seller. US Government officials have described Marc Emery as a drug dealer for his efforts to sell marijuana seeds nationally and abroad. He is the publisher of Cannabis Culture magazine, a founding member of the Freedom Party of Ontario, the Marijuana Party of Canada and the BC Marijuana Party, founder of the Iboga Therapy House and founder of Pot-TV. He ran for mayor of the city of Vancouver in 1996, 2002 and 2008.

Prince of Pot

He is formerly a retailer of marijuana seeds for cultivation, having started Marc Emery Direct Marijuana Seeds in 1995, which he ran until it was closed by a raid by Vancouver police acting on the request of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on July 29, 2005. This has led to him being currently scheduled to be extradited to the United States for a sentence of five years.

Marc Emery was taken into custody on September 28, 2009, and held at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam, BC, to await extradition to the USA. On November 18, 2009, Emery was released on bail, pending the Canadian Minister of Justice signing the extradition order; and on May 5, 2010, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson signed the order and ordered Emery to surrender to authorities, which he did that same day.

On May 10th, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson ruled on Emery's extradition status. Emery is to be deported to the US. He faces 5 years in the US penal system. The possibility exists Emery may be allowed to serve all or part of his sentence in Canada. US authorities have not rejected this option, should Canada make such a request.

On Thursday May 20, Emery was deported to the US. He is scheduled to appear shortly in a US court, plead guilty to one count of distribution and be sentenced to 5 years.

From Wikipedia

CANNABIS CULTURE - The extradition order to send marijuana activist Marc Emery to the United States for an expected five-year prison term has been signed by the Canadian Minister of Justice, Rob Nicholson.

Cannabis Culture has learned that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada made their decision shortly after Emery turned himself in to Canadian authorities this morning: The Prince of Pot will be handed over to the United States for selling marijuana seeds over the Internet.

• Marc Emery's US Federal Prison blog #8: Letter to Jodie - Cannabis Culture
• Marc Emery's US Federal Prison blog #7: Letter to Jodie - Cannabis Culture
• How to Occupy a Member of Parliament's Office - Cannabis Culture
• Oakland California Passes Vote to Allow Pot Factories for Medical Marijuana ... - Cornwall Free News (blog)
• Marc Emery's US Federal Prison blog #6 - Cannabis Culture
• Emery Boarding: Canada's Cannabis King Marc Emery Abused By America - Anorak.co.uk (satire)
• Cannabis Day 2010: Police Show Respect For Vancouver's Cannabis Community - Cannabis Culture
• Cheech & Chong take pot shots at Stephen Harper - Toronto Star
• Marijuana Testers Required: Over 65s Feeling Ill Welcome (Marc Emery Forbidden) - Anorak.co.uk (satire)
• Modern Political Prisoners in America - Weekly Blitz

"I am absolutely devastated 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 Marc's wife 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."

Marc spoke to reporters outside of the downtown Vancouver Law Courts before turning himself in, and said orders to extradite him would be the equivalent of outsourcing our justice system. He said he hopes some good comes from his imprisonment.

"If he sends me away, it will anger millions of Americans and millions of Canadians," he told the press. "I need them to be angry, otherwise we won’t get any change on this drug war."

Marc Emery

Marc's lawyer and fellow marijuana activist Kirk Tousaw? told Cannabis Culture that in all likelihood, Marc would be sent south across the border by the end of the week where he will eventually appear before a sentencing judge. Marc is expected to be sentenced to five years as part of a plea deal arranged with American prosecutors.

Opting to wait until Marc was in custody on a bail technicality, Nicholson sent the order to Marc's lawyers shortly after he entered custody. Marc had expected to be out on bail again today as the Justice Minister was expected to request another extension on the controversial move.

Marc's case started in 2005 when American Authorities raided his Vancouver store and offices with the help of the Vancouver Police Department. Marc, whose business sold marijuana seeds to "Overgrow the Government" donated all the proceeds of his business to various activism groups working to legalize marijuana and medical marijuana.

"Today's decision is another step in Canada's adoption of the failed and harmful drug war approach that, ironically, the American government is moving away from," said Tousaw.

"Canadians are deeply opposed to this extradition and the outsourcing of Canadian criminal justice policy. This unpopular decision is sure to hurt the Conservative government at the ballot box in the next election. Mr. Emery is resolute and told me, from his jail cell, to never give up the fight for cannabis freedom."

Marc Emery

YOU CAN STILL HELP! Please contact Judge Ricardo Martinez in Seattle, Washington and tell him that he should let Marc Emery return home to Canada with a no-prison sentence instead of the 5-year term in the plea deal.

Mail: Honorable Ricardo S. Martinez U.S. Courthouse 700 Stewart Street, Suite 13134 Seattle, WA 98101-9906 USA

You can also contact Conservative Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews and tell him to allow Marc to sever his time in Canada as part of the Treaty Transfer process.

Office of Public Saftey Phone: 613-944-4875 E-mail: webmail.psepc-sppcc.gc.ca Web Contact Form: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/abt/min-eng.aspx CLICK HERE for more contact info.

You can also call the Minister of Justice's Rob Nicholson and voice your displeasure in his decision. (613) 995-1547 (905) 353-9590 (905) 871-9991 (905) 354-0527

Honourable Robert Nicholson House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6