Injustice: Prince of Pot Denied Transfer to Cdn Jail

dumpthemonarchy

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Marc Emery is still rotting in US jails. Time for the Canadan govt to legalize pot. It should be all about profits and harm reduction, that's what business and political correctnes are all about. Why take the risk some dealer might sell you rat poison, make the govt sell it and the quality will be guaranteed. We could lower the deficit and fund social programs at the same time.

This is such an injustice.

'Prince of Pot' denied move to Canada | Canada | News | Toronto Sun

'Prince of Pot' denied move to Canada

By KRISTY BROWNLEE, QMI Agency
Last Updated: April 16, 2011 4:21am


Marc Emery lights up a marijuana cigarette in front of the London Ontario police headquarters in this Aug. 26, 2003 file photo. (Morris Lamont, QMI Agency)
Canada's "Prince of Pot" has been denied a prison transfer back to Canada and will likely serve his entire sentence in the United States.

Vancouver resident Marc Emery was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty in the U.S. on May 24 for selling marijuana seeds online to Americans.

Kirk Tousaw, his Vancouver lawyer, said the Canadian consulate advised Emery, 53, on Friday that he was denied a transfer to Canada by U.S. authorities due to the "seriousness of the offence" and "law enforcement concerns."

Tousaw said the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed the decision, but did not elaborate on the reasons for the decision.
Emery is eligible to reapply for a transfer to a Canadian prison in two years, Tousaw said.

Emery's wife, Jodie, 26, said she is "devastated."

"This is pretty shocking to think he will have to serve 85 to 100% of his sentence in the U.S., when people right now are legally selling marijuana seeds in the U.S.," she said. "The irony is upsetting."

Jodie said with good behaviour Emery could be released after serving 85% of his sentence.
He is currently in Oklahoma City awaiting transfer to a medium-security federal prison in Mississippi.
 

Bar Sinister

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Can't say I want to see Emery here. I wonder how Canadians would feel if some US citizen was promoting the use of an illegal drug in Canada by offering an online export service. Emery knew the law and deliberately broke it.
 

dumpthemonarchy

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Can't say I want to see Emery here. I wonder how Canadians would feel if some US citizen was promoting the use of an illegal drug in Canada by offering an online export service. Emery knew the law and deliberately broke it.

They guy broke an American law and the Canadian police turned him in. Canada does not have to do this. But we did to prove we were subservient to the USA by the Tories.
 

Unforgiven

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It has nothing at all to do with drugs. Emery is a political prisoner. If there was a way to lock Ignatieff up and not get any heat for it, Harper would have him in Syria by now. You can buy Cannabis seeds in the US openly along with Cannabis, Seedlings and material to grow them with. So some guy selling seeds to the US, which there are a lot of in Canada, isn't why Emery is in jail.

It's that he has provided a political message that the establishment under Harper's direction has deemed a threat and taken action against. It's political, not drug related. And they got away with that on our watch. That's shameful.
 

TenPenny

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It has nothing at all to do with drugs. Emery is a political prisoner. If there was a way to lock Ignatieff up and not get any heat for it, Harper would have him in Syria by now. You can buy Cannabis seeds in the US openly along with Cannabis, Seedlings and material to grow them with. So some guy selling seeds to the US, which there are a lot of in Canada, isn't why Emery is in jail.

It's that he has provided a political message that the establishment under Harper's direction has deemed a threat and taken action against. It's political, not drug related. And they got away with that on our watch. That's shameful.

But if you love our country, you'll vote conservative.
 

JLM

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Can't say I want to see Emery here. I wonder how Canadians would feel if some US citizen was promoting the use of an illegal drug in Canada by offering an online export service. Emery knew the law and deliberately broke it.

Yep, I have absolutely no sympathy for people who break the law in a foreign and then whine about the harsh punishment.
 

earth_as_one

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Yep, I have absolutely no sympathy for people who break the law in a foreign and then whine about the harsh punishment.
What has that to do with Emery's case? Emery never committed any crime in the US. Emery was arrested in Canada for breaking an American law while in Canada.

Emery ran a quasi-legal marijuana seed mail order business. Selling marijuana seeds is a gray area in Canadian law but illegal in some US states. Emery was never charged with a crime in Canada, because he would probably win his case, since technically marijuana seeds do not contain enough THC to be classified as a drug.

Emery and his employees were arrested in Canada for breaking American law while in Canada. I can't think of another example where the Canadian government has allowed another country's laws to take precedence over Canadian law.

Emery and his employees could have fought the extradition and faced a 10 year minimum sentence if they lost their battle. Instead Emery negotiated a deal with the American government where he would go to the US and plead guilty on condition that the US government drop charges against his employees and he is allowed to serve a maximum of 5 years, most of which was supposed to be in a Canadian jail.

Instead the US government has reneged on their deal. They are going to make Emery serve his time in the US prison system in violation of their agreement.

Emery's case would be like Canada extraditing a Canadian Vintner for selling wine to Saudis from Canada where alcohol is just as illegal as marijuana seeds are in some US states.

The American government isn't holding up their end of the agreement. That would be Canada agreeing to extradite the Canadian vintner on condition that he only get a lashing and the Saudi government imposing the death penalty, once the Canadian vintner is in their jurisdiction.

Whether you agree with decriminalization of marijuana or not, this case should concern you and all Canadians. Does the US have the right to impose their laws on Canadians living in Canada? I would agree with the US arresting Emery if he ever set foot in the US. The Harper government should never have agreed to allow US law to supersede Canadian law in Canada. Think of the implications!! Now Canadians have to respect US law while in Canada. We may as well give up our sovereignty and become a 51st state. Should Canada also allow other nations besides the US to impose their laws on Canadian soil?
 

Unforgiven

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Yep, I have absolutely no sympathy for people who break the law in a foreign and then whine about the harsh punishment.

If that was the case I would agree with you, but it's not. He is a political prisoner held not for selling seeds across the boarder to US citizens, which I'll point out happens plenty of times every day without a single charge and even taxes are collected on it. What was and is the point is that Marc Emery was arrested for Americans who through the war on drugs, used their political pressure to force a willing Canadian government to arrest and extradite him to the US to face trial.

Not because he was selling seeds, or Cannabis buds but only because he was funding a political movement to legalize Cannabis in Canada and the US. Showing the lies made by governments about Cannabis and those who need and enjoy it, he exposed some powerful people for the tyrants they are. Rather than an honest and open discussion on Cannabis, they chose instead to use the DEA to enter Canada undercover strike up a relationship with Marc Emery, then return to the US and send an order for seeds with American stamped envelope to an American address. Once the seeds were sent out with the usual daily orders, the DEA again returned to Canada with the RCMP and arrested Emery and had him extradite to the US. In a deal with the American DA attached to the case, he could agree to skip extradition hearings, go straight to the US and serve 5 years, being transfered back the Canada after serving a short term in the US. The Harper government refused that deal and so he serves the whole 5 years in the US.

So this isn't a case of as you would insinuate some Canadian going to another country and breaking the laws then whining about it.

It is in fact a case of modern day tyranny that sadly the powers that be are in control of. Like all tyrants, these too will find that power fleeting and there will come a day when they too will have to had in the shadows and avoid traveling to countries because of their past actions don't evaporate when they leave office.
 

earth_as_one

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Which leads to the question, "Does the Harper government represent Canadians or Americans".

When it comes to caving in to US demands versus defending Canadian sovereignty, Harper has demonstrated a willingness to sell out Canada and fellow Canadians to appease the US.
 

MHz

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Which leads to the question, "Does the Harper government represent Canadians or Americans".

When it comes to caving in to US demands versus defending Canadian sovereignty, Harper has demonstrated a willingness to sell out Canada and fellow Canadians to appease the US.
He isn't the only one, that the price we pay, willingly. The guy in question should have kept his show on this side of the border. It's one thing to be the new Johnny Appleseed but you should make sure all the seed land in your own garden.
I wonder why hemp doesn't get the same media exposure as it is even a more valuable 'plant' than medical pot?
 

Cannuck

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Marc Emery is still rotting in US jails.

Hopefully they can get him to a doctor so his condition can be treated. I wonder if it has anything to do with all the pot he smoked.

Can't say I want to see Emery here. I wonder how Canadians would feel if some US citizen was promoting the use of an illegal drug in Canada by offering an online export service. Emery knew the law and deliberately broke it.

Ya, could you imagine the froohaha if he was an American selling and shipping guns into Canada

They guy broke an American law and the Canadian police turned him in. Canada does not have to do this. But we did to prove we were subservient to the USA by the Tories.

We have extradition treaties. Those are not the same thing as being subservient or are you saying that if the US sends Ian MacDonald back to Canada, then they are subservient to us?
 

Unforgiven

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He isn't the only one, that the price we pay, willingly. The guy in question should have kept his show on this side of the border.

The onus should be on the importer not the exporter. If the DEA in the US wants to order Cannabis seeds, which are legal to sell in Canada, and import them to the US then the US should stop them from doing it.

It's one thing to be the new Johnny Appleseed but you should make sure all the seed land in your own garden.

But it doesn't work like that. If something from your neighbors yard fall into your's you can do what you want with it. You can even attempt to prevent it from falling into your yard by means of a fence, cutting the tree back that extends over into your yard and so on. But you can't go a cut your neighbor's tree down, nor put your neighbor in jail for it.


I wonder why hemp doesn't get the same media exposure as it is even a more valuable 'plant' than medical pot?

Dow chemicals and the Cotton growers of America.

Ya, could you imagine the froohaha if he was an American selling and shipping guns into Canada

Good point. I wonder, since we know the names of the manufacturers of many of the illegal handguns that come into our country from the US, if demands for the heads of those companies be extradited to Canada and charged with selling guns in Canada? Seems fair that way. As well maybe the NRA shouldn't be allowed a voice in lobbying the Canadian government on the gun registry.
 

Retired_Can_Soldier

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Perhaps when Mr. Emery is rescued from the US Gulag he can extend his activism to Saudi Arabia or China.

I have no issue with anyone who wants to indulge in marijuana use, but I do have a problem with stupidity, and stupidity is what got Emery into this jackpot in the first place.
 

earth_as_one

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Emery is a Canadian marijuana activist. His actions are supported by millions of Canadians.

Also lets be clear. Emery was not charged with breaking Canadian law in Canada. Emery was not charged with breaking an American law in the US.

Emery was charged for breaking an American law while in Canada.

Canadians who break US law while in the US can be extradited to the US with certain limitations. But that's got nothing to do with this case. In this case, the Canadian government has recognized US law as superseding Canadian law in Canada.

What Canadians do while in Canada should be the business of Canadians. The US should not be able to impose American laws on Canadians while they are in Canada. If a Canadian steps across the border into the US, then US law prevails. But in Canada, Canadian law should prevail.

I disagree with Harper's subservience to the US. IMO, Canada is a sovereign country and the only laws Canadians must respect in Canada are Canadian laws.

This extradition of a Canadian for breaking US laws in Canada sets a dangerous precedent. I can imagine what the Americans would say to the Canadian government if we demanded the US extradite an American citizen to Canada for breaking a Canadian law while in the US. They'd probable remind us that only American law applies in the US.
 
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JLM

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If you are shipping illegal substances to a foreign country, my guess is you are just as guilty as if you walked across the border with it. What difference does the means of conveyance make?
 

MHz

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The onus should be on the importer not the exporter. If the DEA in the US wants to order Cannabis seeds, which are legal to sell in Canada, and import them to the US then the US should stop them from doing it.
Why, if it is illegal in the US no packages should be sent (he was making money at it). Let a 'private individual' come up, buy the seeds and have them ship them down. Better yet get some place in the US where the purchase would even be more private.
Asd much as I am for the free pot thing when he was lighting up those super-joints I was kind of hoping he would jump into a vehicle and then get arrested for being impaired, Do the crime, do the time, maybe he will be more low-key when he is free to smoke again, take a pinner and smoke it in private then come before the cameras. He was looking for fame (and fortune), looks like it is one out of two.

If you are shipping illegal substances to a foreign country, my guess is you are just as guilty as if you walked across the border with it. What difference does the means of conveyance make?
What he sail, lol.
 

petros

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(he was making money at it)
And paid more in GST than the average person makes in a year. The govt of Canada and BC had no problems accepting the taxes generated.

That makes them partners.
 

MHz

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What Canadians do while in Canada should be the business of Canadians. .
He wasn't shipping seed to Canadians and yes you do have to pay attention to the laws in other Nations, even while in Canada.

And paid more in GST than the average person makes in a year. The govt of Canada and BC had no problems accepting the taxes generated.

That makes them partners.
Power to him, he should have kept it to this side of the border, it was no secret they were after him, why give them the tools they needed? That's rather stupid.