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Canada: Marc Emery in jail awaiting extradition to U.S.

Ian Mulgrew

Vancouver Sun

Monday 28 Sep 2009

VANCOUVER — 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."

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Marc+Emery+jail+awaiting+extradition/2043283/story.html

 

 

 

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