Archive for October, 2009
04
Oct
People taking action for Marc Emery
submitted by Jodie Emery on October 4, 2009
People around the world have launched rallies, protests, and occupations in support of the Free Marc Emery and marijuana legalization campaigns.
Video and Photos from the FREE MARC World Wide Rallies on September 18 – more to come! If you want your photos up on the FreeMarc.ca site, email to nicole@nicoleseguin.com
To give you an idea of rallies that have been held in the past, check out these videos of previous FREE MARC protests:
Here’s a collection of photos from these events:
People are also sending their ‘Letters to the Editor’ to local and national newspapers to educate others about Marc Emery and why he should be repatriated to Canada. View the letters/articles at the Media Awareness Project or view a collection of published letters here:
Marc Emery has inspired artistic tributes in both music and visual arts. Here are a collection of photos of Marc Emery and marijuana outdoor and indoor artwork, and list of songs inspired by Marc Emery:
Raise awareness about Marc Emery by wearing your Free Marc shirt and bringing Free Marc signs to other events you attend. View our ‘Show Your Support’ photo album here: (Free Marc shirts, buttons, and more available here)
04
Oct
Who is Marc Emery?
submitted by Jodie Emery on
Who is Marc Emery?
Marc Emery is a Canadian businessman and political activist who owns and operates “Cannabis Culture Magazine”, “Pot-TV”, the “BC Marijuana Party”, and “Marc Emery’s Cannabis Culture Headquarters” (previously “BC Marijuana Party Bookstore” and “Hemp BC” before that). Marc also ran “Emery Direct Seeds” in a store in downtown Vancouver BC and through mail-order, for over ten years, with the goal to fund anti-prohibition and pro-marijuana activists and organizations across North America and the world — a fact that DEA Administrator Karen Tandy crowed about in the press release about Marc Emery’s arrest. (Numerous other seed-selling businesses operate in North America, some even on the same block as Marc Emery’s businesses today, but they are not activists and they keep all the money they make, so they are not targeted by the United States Government and law enforcement.)
Marc paid provincial and federal taxes on his income, had no business outlets in the USA, and never went to the USA to conduct seed transactions. Everything was done openly and transparently, because Marc has always been honest and vocal. He’s a political party leader and media magnet, always happy to explain how and why he did everything. He spent the proceeds from all sales on ending the drug war in Canada, the USA, and all over the world: he financed numerous political parties, ballot initiatives, election campaigns, court challenges, medical programs, drug treatment centres, legal fees, conferences, organizations, events and more. That’s what his mission was, and he even ran in provincial and municipal elections five times as a seed seller, gaining many votes and endless media coverage.
Marc Emery had two employees that worked for his seed business: Michelle Rainey, and Greg Williams. Together they were called “The BC3” in earlier “No Extradition” efforts. They, along with Marc, are Canadian citizens who were heavily involved in Canadian and American anti-prohibition activism for over ten years, though they remained in Canada at all times.
The US Justice Department wanted to have the BC3 extradited to the USA to be charged with conspiracy to produce marijuana, conspiracy to traffic marijuana, and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime. (“Marc Emery Direct Seeds” was a marijuana seed business; the accused never sold any marijuana. The DEA even went undercover and tried to buy ten pounds of pot from Marc Emery, but he gave them a lecture about how he sold seeds, not pot, and told the female undercover agent she was ignorant and reckless to ask him to sell marijuana, because he’s never done it before and assumes he’s always monitored by law enforcement.)
Because Marc Emery was so successful in fighting against the US-led War on Drugs, the powers in America decided to shut him up along with cooperation from Canadian law enforcement who wanted him punished more harshly than the monetary fine he received the last time he was arrested and convicted in Canada for selling seeds. The United States Justice Department and DEA had Canadian police help execute a raid and arrests for extradition of three political activists to face 10 years up to life in US prison. Greg and Michelle are now free, while Marc Emery still faces extradition the USA.Tweet
04
Oct
Did You Know?
submitted by Jodie Emery on
Did You Know?
– In Canada, there are two precedents for selling marijuana seeds:
1) In the year case R. v. Hunter in the year 2000, the BC Court of Appeals found that a $200 fine, not jail time, is the appropriate punishment for selling seeds. Read that decision here.
2) On March 7th, 2008, the BC Appeals Court released a decision that the punishment for selling cannabis seeds should not be more severe than one month in prison and one year of probation, the punishment handed to a marijuana seed retailer in BC who was selling to Americans. Read that story here.
– Marc Emery, Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams never went to the United States. The seed business, “Marc Emery Direct Marijuana Seeds”, was Canadian-based and run by Marc Emery. There were no US-based employees, and only regular mail was ever sent across the border from Vancouver, BC to Americans who made orders online or through the mail.
– According to a 2005 survey done by the Strategic Counsel & Angus Reid Polling, 58% of Canadians oppose extradition in this case. In the years since, public opposition to extradition has only grown, with national newspaper editorials, local news columnists, and even Members of Canada’s Parliament all urging the Justice Minister to refuse extradition in this case.
– Marc Emery paid Income Tax to Revenue Canada and Revenue BC on all of his income generated from his seed business. He paid more than $500,000 in taxes between 1999 to 2005, and put his occupation on the income tax declarations as “marijuana seed vendor”.
– Marc Emery’s magazine “Cannabis Culture” was sent to every Member of Parliament for over 12 years. Every issue of Cannabis Culture up to #57 (the issue printed on the very same day as the raid, July 29th, 2005) included the entire seed catalogue in it, so Parliament knew about the business.
– Health Canada, when it first began licensing medical marijuana users, recommended to Members of Parliament and licensed users that new cannabis growers should purchase seeds online from Canadian seed sellers such as Marc Emery Direct. Svend Robinson, the New Democratic Party Health Critic in Canadian Parliament, will testify to that fact.
– Marc Emery brought a capitalist approach to the marijuana legalization movement by starting “radical retail” outlets such as Hemp BC, and got politically involved by helping organize the Canadian Marijuana Party and creating the BC Marijuana Party, the latter which he still leads today.
– Marc Emery created his seed business with the purpose of using the profits to fund the cannabis movement worldwide. Through the sale of cannabis seeds, Marc was able to finance numerous drug law reform groups and events around the world, mostly in Canada and the United States. He funded global rally/march promotion, American and Canadian ballot initiatives, election campaigns, lobbying groups, conferences, drug rehab clinics, class action lawsuits, protests, patient bills and bail fees, and more. In total, over $4,000,000 was contributed to various activities and organizations.Tweet