Emery Should Be A Free Man

[PFlynn]

Nowhere has this truth been more evident than in the two-year-long efforts by American drug police to extradite Marc Emery, entrepreneur, leader of the B.C. Marijuana Party and the West Coast's self-styled "Prince of Pot."

For years, the government has looked the other way as Mr. Emery has become a millionaire many times over. But even as he has remained a free man in Canada, Ottawa has felt pressured by Washington to crack down on Mr. Emery for alleged breach of U.S. drug laws ( Americans complain that his mail-order business has sold seeds to U.S. buyers. )

The result of this application of War on Drugs heavy-handedness by remote control has been a diminution of our national sovereignty and a blow to Canada's own rule of law.

On Monday it was announced Mr. Emery had struck a deal with U.S. prosecutors. To avoid extradition, he will serve a five-year sentence for selling marijuana seeds by mail. He will do his time here, rather than stateside, but will be ineligible for the early release to which all other Canadian criminals generally are entitled. He will have to do his full time behind bars, no parole, no halfway houses, no statutory release.

As Mr. Emery told the Vancouver Sun, "I'm going to do more time than many violent, repeat offenders." And indeed he is. In a report on Canada's federal prisons, sent to Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day last month, it was revealed that most offenders -- even those convicted of assault, armed robbery and rape -- spend less than three years behind bars.

This is a travesty for a man who, as he correctly states, "has no victims." But it is also a travesty for Canadian justice.

We arrested Mr. Emery, a Canadian citizen, for crimes he allegedly committed in the United States, even though he had not been in the United States, was not fleeing American authorities, has not inflicted any action upon an American to which the latter did not consent, and Canada refused to prosecute him for the very same crimes here.

If Ottawa felt strongly enough about the pot-seed catalogue saleman's misdeeds, it should have prosecuted him itself. Otherwise, it should have refused American requests to cooperate with the extradition application.

By no less an authority than the Supreme Court of Canada, our government will not extradite Canadians suspected of committing murder in the United States, unless American prosecutors promise in advance not to seek the death penalty, which is banned here, but not there. Why then would we even consider arresting a Canadian and prosecute him at the behest of U.S. authorities for a crime we routinely ignore here?

The last time Mr. Emery was convicted of selling seeds here was a decade ago, at which time he received a $2,000 fine. Since then, Canadian prosecutors have refused to lay charges against him. Indeed, when it failed on its own to grow medical marijuana for terminal patients, Health Canada even directed Canadians with permits to Mr. Emery's mail order business.

Permitting Marc Emery to cut a deal with U.S. prosecutors is one of those cowardly half-measure that have come to symbolize Canadian drug policy. If Ottawa wants Canadians to respect the law, it either has to enforce it as written or -- as we would prefer -- change what is written to conform to the prevailing social norms. Our current neither-fish-nor-fowl stand makes a mockery of our criminal justice system.


Source:National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2008 Southam Inc.
Contact: letters@nationalpost.com
Website: National Post | Canadian News, Financial News And Opinion

[Rocky Balboa]

Thats a heck of a long time in jail for not doing anything harmful. He might have sold seeds but they have no value until they are grown. Thats what I can't get my head around. A real shame.

[Boss]

They can't have someone selling seeds that produce seeds. They wanna wait till hemp is legal, then Monsanto will be the only company allowed to sell seeds to MMJ patients and Hemp farmers. They want to patent a seed that will not produce plants with viable seeds, that way, you have to buy seeds from them each time you plant.

[MsRedEye]

That whole thing is pathetic. Is there any talk up in Canada about sending us the bill for his incarceration?

Peace

[Racefan]

Originally Posted by Boss

They can't have someone selling seeds that produce seeds. They wanna wait till hemp is legal, then Monsanto will be the only company allowed to sell seeds to MMJ patients and Hemp farmers. They want to patent a seed that will not produce plants with viable seeds, that way, you have to buy seeds from them each time you plant.

Wow! This is the first I've heard of this boss but then again I was out of the loop for a little while. Where did you get that info from. I want to read about this! monsanto is the name? Time to start googling again.lol

[Boss]

I think ***** posted it in the news or I read it on Cees's site at No Mercy Supply
I am not exactly sure :-)

Monsanto already sells hemp seeds to Canada. They already have the strains that cannot produce seeds.

[Racefan]

I found a little about it from Cannabis culture. There's a article. This monsanto is a bad company. They produced agent orange in the 60's and 70's and the nasty poison round up that was sprayed in mexico. Terminator seed is what they called it.lol Didn't arnold toke in his movie?lol Jeeze! What's next. Weed that makes your lips glow if you smoke it?

[Cherma]

Marc has taken a noble approach to the situation as he said he would do. I agree that 5 years is way too long of a time to spend in jail for what transpired. Most of us know that you can kill another human being, rape someone, and do very little if any jail time. Case in point: I was sentenced to 10 years in a State Prison after pleading guilty to marijuana posession, and served my time of 18 months. The man who killed my brother while driving drunk and convicted of 2nd degree manslughter served 48 hours: what the hell is up with that. And that was his 3rd DUI. even Judge James Ellis who sentenced me almost cried as he could not believe that he had to sentence me according to " what was in the book", and I would serve more time than the man who killed my brother, alot more time.
The vast repeal of all Marijuana laws and the ending of "Prohibition" must be kept in forward momentum. It is in the best interest of so many citizens.
What is so Ironic here though is the buying of Marijuana Seeds is so easy over the internet, why punish one man who has been openly honest in his financial responsibilities for running a business and paying the taxes associated with this business and having the Canadian Government accept his tax monies and utilize this money for their benefit.
Marc is correct. He will do more time than many others convicted of crimes far worse than " Selling Marijuana Seeds" This is travesty of justice in many forms.


I wish you well Marc and Hawaii has a place for you when you are ready.
A Hui Hou our friend: Let us know what we can do for you
Aloha

[Cherma]

When Marc does surrender to do his time, we will need to find out where, so we can keep his commissary account full. In other words I am asking that anyone who over the years knowing Marc contibute to his commissary funds in prison. I personally will donate $1000.00, as an intial donation.Or the maximum amount allowable by Canadian Prison standards.

[Boss]

I thought he was a multi-millionaire.

[MsRedEye]

Fortunately, they aren't trying to lay a RICO on him. Gotta love Canada

Peace

[PFlynn]

Originally Posted by Cherma42050

When Marc does surrender to do his time, we will need to find out where, so we can keep his commissary account full. In other words I am asking that anyone who over the years knowing Marc contibute to his commissary funds in prison. I personally will donate $1000.00, as an intial donation.Or the maximum amount allowable by Canadian Prison standards.

Hell yea

[LiquidTwiligh]

Unfortunatly being an American citizine, and living under the draconian drug laws, I feel worse that Canada is being pushed, and pressured by the american goverment to abide by "their" drug laws, or we close our borders to them..however we won;t close our borders to illegal immigrants from mexico, or other nations because well thats jus a big cheaper labor force.

As an american I will attest that my country's government, is and does proceed to act as nothing more than a bully and Terroristic faction.
Sooner or later we will piss off enough of our "allies" to jus be ransacked by all nations of the world.

Mr. Emery, has been publishing "Cannabis Culture" which has proven to be the only magazine distributed in the U.s. that offers a serious course, of thoughts, and articles. We all know about High Times but High times isn't really meant for people to educate themselves on, the way CC is. hightimes is a leisure magazine

[Boss]

^^ I agree

WELCOME to 420 Magazine!