A blow for the 'Prince of Pot' (Canada/US)

[sweetheart]

The possible extradition to the US of a prominent marijuana
enthusiast has sparked anger in Canada, reports Anne McIlroy

Tuesday August 16, 2005

For years, Canadian authorities ignored the lucrative mail-order
marijuana business run by Marc Emery, Canada's most prominent
proponent for legalising weed. The self-styled "Prince of Pot" sold
cannabis seeds via the internet to customers all over the world,
including the United States.

But the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was far less
tolerant, and, during an 18-month investigation, sent undercover
agents to pose as customers. They asked that Mr Emery be arrested for
selling to Americans, and, earlier this summer, the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police picked him up. Now he is facing extradition to the
United States, where he could be sentenced to at least 10 years and
possibly life in prison if he is convicted on a number of
drug-related charges.

This has angered many Canadians, who even if they don't approve of Mr
Emery's activities, fear that the long arm of the law in the US is
now reaching across the border. They say it is wrong for a Canadian
to be tried in the United State for selling marijuana seeds from his
Vancouver base. The US has far harsher penalties.

"I'm deeply concerned about subjecting a Canadian citizen to the
draconian laws of a foreign nation when we don't bother charging this
person for violating our laws," Alan Young, an associate professor of
law at Osgoode Hall, wrote in the Globe and Mail newspaper.
.
.
<snip>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1550047,00.html#article_continue

[rodeodance]

1. gawd, doesn't the fed. gov have anything more important to do?

[phusion]

12. Yea, like plot "terrorist" attacks?

errr...

:)

[nine23]

2. This is "news" for The Guardian, but it's a few weeks old for DU.

That said, though, I can say this: I know Marc; I've been to his "dealership/seed business", and I'm a regular at the "cafe" downstairs. (Hell, it's one of the very few places we can smoke indoors in Vancouver anymore, and I ain't talking cigarettes...smoking "cigarettes" indoors is, um...illegal). As a pot smoker and an amateur "botanist", I'm very close to this issue.

I really think (I'm HOPING) that this is all a smokescreen (no pun intended) - a form of temporary appeasement - on the part of our PM Paul Martin, and the whole thing will be "dropped" after a time. (Our PM is currently awaiting his "spine donation" to come through, esp. when it comes to dealing with retarded faux-Texans with nukes...)

I think at the last minute, Martin will put in a phone call to George Bush (assuming Jr. knows how to use a phone), and he'll say "Sorry George, we tried...it's simply not gonna' fly, it's contrary to our notions of sovereign nationhood, but we DID try...)

I seriously think it's a form of crafty appeasement, and will play out as planned. Otherwise, there'll be SERIOUS shit to pay. EVEN MY GRANDPARENTS WILL JOIN THE PROTESTS because they, like everyone else here, despise the chimp/retard and his administration, and even old folks in Canada know it's nobody else's business but our own.

As I said, I'm HOPING I'm right...

[DrBloodmoney]

3. Please be wary if you purchased from Emery

recently. The DEA is sending out scam letters trying to entrap American seed buyers. I don't have the links on me, but check out emery's site, cannabis culture, and scamUSA.

Very scary... but I love the power of the internet and the quest for truth

[nine23]

4. Excellent advice. US entrapment laws are obscene and draconian.

Even though seeds contain NO active drug ingredient - a fact from science that was established over a decade ago in Canada, which allowed Emery to conduct his business in the first place - they're considered drug paraphernalia in the States (or something equally ridiculous/similar).

And the DEA, apparently not having enough to do with hard drugs entering your southern borders, or drug-related gang banging in South Central L.A., will act upon it. VIOLENTLY, heroes they are...

"Land Of The Free"? Your call...I don't have to live there.

[tabasco]

9. I feel so much safer !!

Knowing people won't be growing pot in their closets !!

Thank God for the Bush administration's clear cut priorities!!

BIN LADEN = don't care. POT SEEDS = matter of national urgency.

[Mizmoon]

5. Mail order marijuana SEEDS, not pot itself

This line could be misleading although they do clarify in the next sentence: "... Canadian authorities ignored the lucrative mail-order
marijuana business run by Marc Emery ..."

The main thing is that this was political. The head of the DEA released a statement that said this was a "blow to the marijuana legalization movement" since emery donated heaps of his profits to the legalization cause helping people with lawyers and funding protest groups.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

*edit for spelling error

[StrafingMoose]

6. That's to be expected...

heroin & coke derivatives markets are easier to control (read: whitewash the drug money in your banking systems), but with marijuana it's free for all -- anyone can grow it... No wonder why the top heads at DEA wants competitors (pot) out of the way (Wall Street needs crack addicts, not potheads who grow their own stuff)

[daleo]

7. A recent public opinion poll in Canada was against extradition

A poll in the Globe and Mail a few days back showed that a solid majority of Canadians are against extraditing Mr. Emery. Given the fact that the Liberals have only a minority government, and that some B.C. Liberal seats are vulnerable to being won by the NDP (the alternative left party), I think Martin will find a way to NOT extradite Mr. Emery.

[TrogL]

10. I already wrote my MP

This is a threat to Canadian sovergnity. It's based upon a badb deal made by the Conservative Mulroney government.

[Canuckistanian]

11. That's impressive

The Globe & Mail is not what you'd call a liberal paper. And their online polls usually reflect this conservative viewpoint.

[VegasWolf]

8. "The draconian laws of the US" Given the backwards country we are

we should hang our flags upside down.

[cyberpj]

13. Rolling Stone article - Bush's War On Pot:

Bush's War on Pot
Forget meth and other hard-core drugs -- the administration would rather waste taxpayer dollars in an all-out assault on marijuana

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/7504250

[sweetheart]

14. Just like nixon

Pot smokers are more likely to vote democratic, so by putting them in
prison, they make them in to republican voters. The prisons are located
in republican districts, and the prisoners are used to increase rural
populations in electoral districting and to increase "ethnic" population
counts for false appearances of integration.

I laugh that his wars are a failure, like verything the man has ever
done, his entire life is squandering failure paid for by other people's
blood.

[DrBloodmoney]

15. Links to DEA entrapment letters

Here are the links that I promised in an earlier reply.

The DEA is sending out letters with false information in them to people who sent orders to Marc Emery's seed Co. in June and July. The goal of the letters is for American growers to respond and basically admit that they ordered seeds. This is entrapment.

When seeds were sent in June and July, they took unusually long to get to their destination - and in some cases, did not arrive at all. Quite a lot of seed orders -- we're talking at least 200-300 letters here -- were being intercepted somehow, and held up.

What we believe is that the addresses on incoming mail (seed order forms and payment) sent to us were matched up with outgoing mail (seeds) that had our return address, in the months of June and July. Those outgoing letters were held up after we sent them.

But even if mail was opened, that is not enough to incriminate you for sending that letter. Nothing in our outgoing orders implies that you asked for what we're sending. Prosecution will require that those people who get the letter from the DEA incriminate themselves by agreeing that they wish to receive seeds, will pay $50-$100 and more to get those seeds (and the 20 extra ones offered) and through acknowledging the letter by sending payment through Money Gram or Western Union, prove that they asked for and paid for seeds that were sent out to their address.

If you thought there was an unusually long delay in receiving your order from the time you were aware it was sent, then it is very likely your order has been confiscated, and you have, or will, receive the blue letter.

If you sent money to the name on the letter, I believe you may be in danger. Be very alert, very cautious, and take appropriate action.

This is a regrettable discovery, and means the DEA and RCMP and perhaps other agencies are coordinating a massive round-up of both Canadians and Americans in a considerable escalation of the Drug War.

We will give you more information as it is corroborated

http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4483.html
With images of the letters from the DEA and a blow-by-blow on the case.

http://www.emeryseeds.com/
With more images of the letter from the DEA and more backstory on the case

Here is your tax dollars at work... trying to bust American growers for importing marijuana seeds. It makes me so sick to think about this.

Thank God the internet is here to protect us from Big Brother.