By: Amy Rolph, Seattle Post-IntelligencerDid you notice the protesters outside Seattle’s federal courthouse? They’re calling on President Barack Obama to free marijuana activist Marc Emery, who will be sentenced Friday.
Emery, known in Canada as the "Prince of Pot," is facing five years in U.S. prison for selling marijuana seeds through the mail. He’ll be sentenced at 1:30 p.m.
"It’s crazy that he’s going to prison for selling seeds, and that the federal government is willing to spend millions of dollars prosecuting and imprisoning him," the group Sensible Washington said in a statement. "President Obama should pardon Emery and get busy with reforming America’s outdated marijuana laws."
Emery is planning on submitting a transfer application, meaning he could move to a prison in Canada.
In a letter to his wife posted on FreeMarc.ca, Emery wrote that he hopes he’ll be out of jail in a year.
"Under current Canadian law, I qualify for parole at 20 months of my 60-month sentence as a first time non-violent offender in the Canadian federal system," Emery wrote. "That means I could be out on parole in November 2011, in time to be with you for Christmas next year!"
Sept. 18 is "Support Marc Emery Day," according to the activist’s website. He’s encouraging supporters to rally in cities across the country.
On a side note, Emery doesn’t seem to like the food in prison. He describes a meal as "pathetic" on his blog, saying it consisted of "peanut butter, two slices of bread and white rice."