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 veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
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 The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition 
#12359569 - 04/09/10 12:20 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition
April 9, 2010 - Drug War Chronicle
 Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's battle to avoid being extradited to the US to serve a five-year federal prison sentence for selling pot seeds over the Internet continues as the clock ticks down toward May 10 -- the date by which Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson is to decide whether to okay his extradition or not. Emery and his supporters are fighting to the bitter end, and they're picking up some significant support along the way.
Last month, members of all three major English speaking political parties, including the ruling Conservatives, handed in 12,000 signatures on petitions to parliament demanding he not be extradited and addressed the House of Commons on the issue. Shortly thereafter, the French speaking Bloc Quebecois announced it, too, was joining the cause of keeping Emery in Canada.
Emery was Canada's best known marijuana legalization advocate and a leading funder of marijuana reform groups there and in other countries when he was arrested in Vancouver on a US warrant for marijuana seed-selling after being indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle. He faced up to life in prison under the US charges.
Emery, his supporters, and other marijuana reformers have argued that he was arrested for political reasons -- for his support of the legalization cause -- and the gleeful words of then DEA administrator Karen Tandy provided valuable ammunition for the claim. Emery's arrest was "a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the US and Canada, but also to the marijuana legalization movement," Tandy said in a statement the day of the bust.
"His marijuana trade and propagandist marijuana magazine have generated nearly $5 million a year in profits that bolstered his trafficking efforts, but those have gone up in smoke today. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on," Tandy gloated.
For four years, he and his employees and fellow indictees, Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams, negotiated with federal prosecutors, before Rainey and Williams struck plea deals that allowed them to simply remain in Canada. Then, last September, Emery himself agreed to a plea bargain that would see him serve five years in US prison.
Emery was detained in Canada on September 28 and was jailed until mid-November before he was released pending the justice minister's decision on whether to approve his removal to the United States. Since then, the campaign to block his extradition has gone all out. Even in prison, Emery did podcasts -- "potcasts," the magazine calls them -- and since his release, he has been as media-friendly as ever. He has used his Cannabis Culture magazine as a bully pulpit and established a No Extradition! web site to further the cause.
The high point of the campaign so far came on March 12 when three members of parliament, Conservative MP Scott Reid, New Democratic MP Libby Davies, and Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh stood before parliament in Ottawa to deliver the petitions. All three told the Commons that extraditing Emery for what is considered a non-serious offense in Canada was unfair.
MP Reid, a Conservative leader in the House, reminded the Commons that the Extradition Act specifies that the justice minister "shall refuse to surrender a person when that surrender could involve unjust or undue or oppressive actions by the country to which he is being extradited."
Reid pointed out that Health Canada used to refer medical marijuana patients to Emery's seed bank. He also noted that Canadian courts had found that $200 fines were appropriate for seed sellers, while Emery faced up to life for the same offense in the US.
"It appears to me that we have assisted a foreign government arresting a man for doing something that we wouldn't arrest him for doing in Canada," said MP Dosanjh. "As a former premier and a former attorney-general, I sense a certain degree of unfairness in the process. Countries don't usually extradite people to countries where they could face inordinate penalties."
"Many dedicated individuals have collected approximately 12,000 petitions reflecting a strong belief that Mr. Emery or any Canadian should not face harsh punishment in the US for selling cannabis seeds on the Internet when it is not worthy of prosecution in Canada," said MP Davies. "The petitioners call on Parliament to make it clear to the Minister of Justice that such an extradition should be opposed. I am very pleased to present this; I think it is a very strong reflection of Canadians' views on this matter and we hope that the Parliament of Canada will act on this, and certainly the Minister of Justice will take this into account."
"My prospects are getting better," said an ever optimistic Emery. "There have been more than 50,000 communications -- phone calls, letters, emails -- to the justice minister, and we have members of all four major political parties, including the governing party, presenting petitions urging the minister not to extradite. We also have the last three mayors of Vancouver agreeing to sign a statement urging the government not to extradite."
Support is palpable in his adopted hometown, Emery said. "I can't go 50 feet in this city without people stopping me on the street," he said from his downtown Vancouver building. "I have lots of support in this province and throughout the country. I enjoy a lot of positive affirmation. For me, this has been excellent -- I've been giving interviews all over the world, and the movie 'Prince of Pot' is being translated into Mongolian! The national TV network there has permission to do two documentaries on pot, and I'm in both of them."
Now, all eyes turn toward Justice Minister Nicholson. A month from now, he will decide whether to extradite Emery or not -- or he may punt. The minister has the option of applying for an extension on his decision.
There is precedent for the minister to seek an extension, said attorney Kirk Tousaw, who has worked on Emery's case. "Renee Boje was committed for extradition, and the decision sat on the desk of three different justice ministers for five years," he pointed out. "Renee was a US citizen who committed offenses in America, so she seemed like a much more reasonable prospect for extradition than Marc, who has never gone to America or committed any crimes there."
In the meantime, the campaign to keep Emery in Canada continues to gather support and argue the position that his was a politically motivated prosecution. "If the minister believes the prosecution to be politically motivated, he is prohibited from extraditing," said attorney Kirk Tousaw, who has worked on Emery's case. "I don't know if he will take that position. The minister may need a lot of time to consider his options."
The calculations may be as much political as legal, Tousaw said. "This is a minority Conservative government that is attempting to pass unpopular mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, and there will be an election sometime this year or early next year," he argued. "I think that extraditing Marc Emery will be politically costly to the Conservative Party. I'm not sure they can afford to do it if they want to form a majority government."
"The government does want to extradite me," said Emery, "but the public pressure not to do it is substantial. There is nothing to be gaining by extraditing me, and it will piss off a couple of million voters in the next election."
A month from now, we will know whether the Conservative government is willing to sacrifice the gadfly Emery on the altar of the drug war, or whether it is too concerned about the potential backlash to either reject extradition or postpone the decision.
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 Humility
Working on it
Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 4,834
Last seen: 3 hours, 20 minutes
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: veggie]
#12359922 - 04/09/10 02:00 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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He's getting older. This pretty much sucks.
At the rate things are going though he'll do some years in a cell and when he's out he'll be a figurehead. He's already very famous for his work both in the US and Canada as well as in other locales.
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BeanBurner
Stranger
Registered: 07/15/09
Posts: 41
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: veggie]
#12360338 - 04/09/10 05:17 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Another example of the US government bullying a smaller country into submission. Don't think for a second that they are not putting a ton of pressure on Canada to extradite. It is painful to know that these are the people that represent me in the world.
I hope the Canadian government stands on it's morals and denies the extradition, though I fear the opposite will happen.
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funkyrobot
I'd rather not define
Registered: 05/06/09
Posts: 49
Last seen: 1 year, 2 months
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 Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: BeanBurner]
#12360526 - 04/09/10 06:37 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
BeanBurner said:
Another example of the US government bullying a smaller country into submission.
Smaller in terms of population, but not area 
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You will never come out of the trip. Just face it!
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Simplepowa
Vedge
Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 1,495
Loc: Canada 
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: BeanBurner]
#12360770 - 04/09/10 07:59 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
BeanBurner said:
Another example of the US government bullying a smaller country into submission. Don't think for a second that they are not putting a ton of pressure on Canada to extradite. It is painful to know that these are the people that represent me in the world.
I hope the Canadian government stands on it's morals and denies the extradition, though I fear the opposite will happen.
lol.
It is Harper in command right now.
...
Nothing will change.
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AntiEverything
functioning LSD addict
Registered: 07/07/06
Posts: 5,246
Last seen: 10 days, 17 hours
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: Simplepowa] 1
#12360869 - 04/09/10 08:28 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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SHOCKING NEWS:
marc emry is actually dwight shrute !!!
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Currently Reading: Rotting Hill - Wyndham Lewis
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ToiletDuk
Cat Psychiatrist
Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 73,283
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: veggie]
#12360921 - 04/09/10 08:39 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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I hope they don't extradite him. "Conviction" my ass.
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pothead_bob
Resident Pothead
Registered: 04/12/08
Posts: 1,677
Loc: Your computer screen
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: AntiEverything] 1
#12360923 - 04/09/10 08:40 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
"His marijuana trade and propagandist marijuana magazine have generated nearly $5 million a year in profits that bolstered his trafficking efforts, but those have gone up in smoke today. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on," Tandy gloated.
So she's gloating about squashing free speech? Marvelous. No wonder they're called Czar's.
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No knowledge can be certain, if it is not based
upon mathematics or upon some other knowledge
which is itself based upon the mathematical
sciences. -Leonardo da Vinci (1425-1519)
Speak well of your enemies. After all, you made them.
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smokescreen
80's Transformer
Registered: 08/13/09
Posts: 807
Loc: north carolina
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: pothead_bob]
#12361916 - 04/09/10 11:57 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
pothead_bob said:
Quote:
"His marijuana trade and propagandist marijuana magazine have generated nearly $5 million a year in profits that bolstered his trafficking efforts, but those have gone up in smoke today. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on," Tandy gloated.
So she's gloating about squashing free speech? Marvelous. No wonder they're called Czar's.
LONG LIVE THE 1ST AMENDMENT!!
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 "Let's get together and feel alright"   
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Glenners
Rhymenosaurus
Registered: 05/20/08
Posts: 1,913
Last seen: 9 months, 19 days
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: smokescreen] 1
#12362019 - 04/09/10 12:21 PM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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I'll be ashamed to be Canadian if they allow the extradition. We're supposed to be liberal and progressive, fuck off stephen harper.
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TheCrunchyBisquit
Stranger
Registered: 12/12/09
Posts: 12
Loc: In The Garden Of Eden
Last seen: 2 years, 1 month
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: smokescreen]
#12362040 - 04/09/10 12:27 PM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Fuck Yea Canada! I doubt they'll extradite him, but who knows what level the U.S. will sink to him back. I remember once I took a six hour drive North from Central New York to the middle of nowhere canada. There was this little shack behind a resturaunt where you had to follow a path just to see it. The only things for sale where tye-dye clothes made of hemp and little bags of weed neatly packaged just sitting on a shelf lol. Then later, My dad had half a gallon bag of Tobacco for rolling cigs and a cop up there thought it was weed/a joint (it was nighttime) he straight up said "You know I'm a cop right? Go right ahead though." (not exact words)
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blujay
pass it b*ch!
Registered: 04/01/09
Posts: 4,721
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: TheCrunchyBisquit]
#12362771 - 04/09/10 03:05 PM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Shut the fuck up, I don't know if I can move to Canada or not yet.
How hard would that be...
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wat man rly
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shivas.wisdom
בּ וואלה
Registered: 02/19/09
Posts: 4,929
Loc: Turtle Island
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: blujay]
#12363147 - 04/09/10 04:15 PM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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I really like the tone of this article though-- completely different from the vibe just a few months back.
The fact that every major political party in Canada [and most likely the minor ones as well] are being vocal in their opposition to this extradition is a big thing. It really reflects that the majority of Canadians are very against this extradition-- the political situation is Canada right now has ended up with every party being extra careful and calculating in their moves, so if they are all finding reason to jump behind Marc then something good is on his side.
This paragraph especially holds power,
Quote:
Reid pointed out that Health Canada used to refer medical marijuana patients to Emery's seed bank. He also noted that Canadian courts had found that $200 fines were appropriate for seed sellers, while Emery faced up to life for the same offense in the US.
Not only has the Canadian federal government shown to have had knowledge of his seed business prior to the US charges, and to have found nothing illegal or illicit going on-- enough to give out recommendations for his business-- but that even if he was charged for his seeds in Canadian court, his penalty would probably only be a $200 fine-- while in the US he would probably face 10 years minimum.
It shows a direct challenge to the Canadian justice system, from the DEA and US federal government-- it makes Canada to appear as nothing more than another state, and that our citizens are expected to uphold American law ABOVE Canadian law.
This is what I think should be angering ALL Canadians, regardless of their feelings for marijuana. This thing isn't about the marijuana policies, it's about the US government trying to stick it's nose into Canadian business and Canada having to hold its ground and say 'fuck off'.
The only weak link in this is Steven Harper-- both a known pussy and lover of Bush style poltics. He hasn't even claimed the Canadian citizen in quantanamo-- despite the fact that the canadian supreme court has concluded that Omar Kadhr had had his constitutional rights violated.
Harper is serious political scum. I would not hesitate to punch him right in the face if the opportunity ever arose-- 'take one from Canada motherfucker!!' I would yell
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MagicMaker
The Lizard King
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Posts: 601
Loc: Terrapin
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: AntiEverything]
#12363509 - 04/09/10 05:08 PM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
AntiEverything said:
SHOCKING NEWS:
marc emry is actually dwight shrute !!!
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MrBump
Third prize is you're fired
Registered: 10/01/02
Posts: 4,253
Loc: Where Art Meets Crime
Last seen: 1 year, 5 months
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Re: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition [Re: shivas.wisdom]
#12364953 - 04/09/10 09:39 PM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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What? there's more than two (viable) political parties in a Western-style democratic country?
Why, what a novel idea.
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If it weren't for the bloody corpses, I wouldn't have any corpses at all.
There are two ways to get to the top of an oak tree: start climbing or sit on an acorn.
Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
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