Free Marc Emery

Let's Bring Marc Home!

The Marc Emery Legal Fundraiser Moneybomb – Saturday October 16

submitted by on October 5, 2010
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On Saturday, October 16th, the Free Marc Campaign is holding a Marc Emery Legal Fundraiser Moneybomb! Marc is hiring a US prisoner transfer specialist lawyer to handle the process of having him transferred to Canada so he can serve his time at home. We need your help!

Marc Emery was sentenced to serve five years in US federal prison, and will serve his time at Taft Federal Correctional Institution in California. Once he arrives there, he can file his US transfer application to return home to Canada.

The process for getting a transfer under the treaty with the United States has two parts: get approval from the Canadian Public Safety Minister, Vic Toews, and get approval from the US Department of Justice.

The Canadian transfer application when he was sentenced on September 10th, so the Public Safety Minister has the paperwork and he can approve it at any time. Please contact him and ask for Marc’s transfer request to be accepted!

The Hon. Vic Toews
Parliament Hill
Suite 306, House of Commons Justice Building
Ottawa, ON 
K1A 0A6
Canada

204-326-9889
613-992-3128
Toews.V@parl.gc.ca

Please also contact the US Department of Justice and ask them to approve Marc Emery’s transfer request to serve his time at home in Canada. Be polite and use the facts about Marc Emery to help you explain why he should be transferred.

U.S. Department of Justice
Criminal Division, Office of Enforcement Operations
International Prisoner Transfer Program
JCK Building, 12th Floor
Washington, DC
20530
USA

The US application requires more work, so that’s why Marc is hiring a US transfer specialist lawyer. She is highly recommended and gets the job done quickly and properly. Her excellent work comes at a cost of $8,500 – and that’s why we need your help!

The Marc Emery Legal Fundraiser Moneybomb is on Saturday, October 16th. We have already received some donations in advance ($1,000 in total as of October 2nd) and people are able to donate at any time. We’re putting all donation money aside for this lawyer and we’ll add it to the moneybomb on Saturday, October 16th!.

 
 
HOW TO DONATE

All donations are set aside in a US account for the US transfer specialist lawyer’s fees.
 

1) Make donations with your credit card through the Cannabis Culture Online Store in the “Free Marc” section at www.CannabisCulture.com/store


2) Send a PayPal donation to Jodie_Giesz@hotmail.com and it will be transferred to the US account for the lawyer’s fees
 

3) Call 604-669-9069 on Saturday with your credit card information, or email it to Accounts@cannabisculture.com
 

4) Mail a cheque or money order made out to “0883467 BC Ltd.” to The Free Marc Campaign, 307 West Hastings Street, Vancouver BC, V6B 1H6, Canada
 

5) Drop off in-person donations at “Marc Emery’s Cannabis Culture Headquarters” at 307 West Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver
 
6) Canadians can make an email money transfer from any major bank account to the Free Marc campaign by emailing it to: Jodie_Giesz@hotmail.com
Help spread the word about the “Free Marc Emery Moneybomb” online! Join the Facebook group and share this page online.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Why do we need help paying legal fees?

People sometimes ask, “Marc Emery made millions of dollars selling seeds, so why are you asking for money?”

 
The answer is, Marc has no money, savings, assets, stocks, bonds, property, or anything of value. When he was arrested in 2005, he had $11 to his name. He didn’t sell the seeds to make a personal profit; the entire point of selling seeds was to make money for the movement, which he clearly stated on a regular basis and on his websites.

Since Marc began selling seeds in 1994, he never kept any of the money made – he has never cared about owning anything. Marc used all of the profits from the seed sales to finance the movement, which he was very well-known for doing. He gave over $4 million to activists groups, drug policy conferences, state ballot initiatives to legalize medical marijuana (including Colorado, Washington DC, and Arizona), class action lawsuits against the government, compassion club legal fees and start-up costs, opening hemp stores, worldwide rallies and marches (such as the Global Marijuana March every year, and the original April 20th “420” rally in Vancouver), drug policy organizations (including Marijuana Policy Project, NORML, Drug Policy Alliance, and more), political parties (such as the BC Marijuana Party, Canadian Marijuana Party, US Marijuana Party, and other state/provincial parties), media outlets (Cannabis Culture Magazine, Pot TV), drug rehabilitation clinics (the Ibogaine Therapy House), medical fees for cannabis patients, and so much more.

Even if Marc had kept the money, the police and DEA would have seized it all, so he never saved anything. The only people who claim Marc “made millions” are the DEA. But even the DEA knows that Marc has nothing of value, because he was not made to pay fees when sentenced to prison in the USA due to the fact that they know he has no money. In fact, Marc only has personal debt, mostly to Revenue Canada for owed income tax as he paid over $580,000 as a “marijuana seed vendor” from 1999 to 2005 and, after being busted, the interest on the $120,000 owed amount ballooned into nearly $300,000.

Additionally, Marc is not allowed to be employed while imprisoned, so he has no income whatsoever. His wife Jodie Emery owns and operates the “Cannabis Culture Headquarters” store, Cannabis Culture Magazine online, and Pot TV; only the store makes money. As such, we rely on supporters for help in paying the legal fees of our lawyers to help get Marc home.

Thankfully, Marc gave so much to the movement, inspired countless thousands to become activists, and helped thousands of people grow their own medicine, so there are many people who want to give back in his time of need. Thank you for the support!
 

How You Can Help Get Marc Emery Back Home

submitted by on June 30, 2010

CONTACT CANADA’S PUBLIC SAFETY MINISTER

The Canadian Minister of Public Safety is Conservative MP Steven Blaney, and he alone has the power to bring Marc Emery back home – with just a simple signature. Please politely ask Minister Blaney to approve Marc Emery’s transfer application to finish his prison sentence in his home country Canada.

PHONE NUMBERS TO CALL:

613-944-4875 or 1-800-830-3118 (Public Safety Ministry office)
613-992-7434 (Parliament Hill office)
418-830-0500 (Constituency Office #1)
418-625-2626 (Constituency Office #2)

You can read aloud the following (either to the secretary who will answer the phone, or to the voice mail recording) or you can say something similar, based on how you feel about what has happened to Marc – but please remember to always be polite! And if you ask for an official response (which will require you leave your contact information) the office staff will have to use time and resources to reply, so they might be more inclined to tell the Minister to approve Marc’s transfer so they can get back to their normal workload!

“I’m calling to leave a message with Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney. I am requesting that he approve the prison transfer request of Canadian Marc Emery, who has been imprisoned in the United States since 2010. The Minister has had Marc Emery’s transfer application paperwork since earlier this year, and the United States’ federal government has already approved Marc’s request. Please make sure that the Minister knows that I, and many others, want Marc Emery brought home to Canada as soon as possible so he can finish his prison sentence closer to his wife, friends, and family.”

Faxes and letters are also useful, as they are physical copies of paper that the Minister is supposed to receive and review. Please remember to keep your message very short and simple so that it’s more likely to be read. You can also ask for a response by phone, email, fax or letter, but be sure to include your contact information.

FAX NUMBERS:

418-830-0504
418-625-4663
613-995-6856

MAIL ADDRESSES:

Hon. Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Canada
(Note: no postage required for mail to the House of Commons)

Hon. Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety
115 President Kennedy Road, Suite 101
Lévis, Québec
G6V 6C8
Canada

Hon. Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety
1516-D Route 277
Lac-Etchemin, Québec
G0R 1S0
Canada

EMAIL ADDRESS:

steven.blaney@parl.gc.ca Member of Parliament website

Bring Marc Emery Home to Canada

submitted by on
We want the Canadian government to bring Marc Emery home to serve his sentence in Canada.
 
This is a normal process called "Treaty Transfer" whereby American and Canadian prisoners are transferred home to serve their sentences in their native country. This is normally done so that prisoners can be closer to their families, and be better monitored and reintegrated into society.
 
Now that Marc Emery has been sentenced in the USA (to 5 years), his lawyers have initiated the treaty transfer application. They expect no objection from American authorities, but there must also be support from Canada’s Public Safety Minister.
 
Originally we were fighting for Canadian officials to block Marc's extradition entirely. Now we are simply asking the Public Safety Minister to accept Marc's treaty transfer and allow him to serve some of his sentence in Canada.
 
Please contact the Canadian Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews (pronounced "Taves") and ask him to approve Canadian citizen Marc Emery's prison transfer application so Marc can serve his sentence in Canada. Please be polite and respectful when contacting Vic Toews.
 
 
The Hon. Vic Toews
 
Parliament Hill
Suite 306, HC Justice Building
 
Ottawa, ON  
K1A 0A6
(No postage required in Canada)
 
 
You can also call or email Vic Toews:
204-326-9889
613-992-3128
 
Be sure to promote the website www.FreeMarc.ca so others can help bring Marc Emery home!

 
 

Marc Emery’s US Federal Prison blog #2

submitted by on May 25, 2010
Jodie told me that the interview I did with NDP Member of Parliament Libby Davies for Rabble.ca finally showed up online, which makes me happy even though there are numerous errors and omissions that I will have Jodie post on CC soon. I heard news items on the radio about me, but it’s maddening how they screw up details. One radio report said "US DEA arrested Marc Emery in Canada LAST WEEK and quickly had him brought here to Seattle where today he plead guilty to manufacturing marijuana as a result of his seed selling business." There are no journalists these days, just "reporters".

I didn’t sleep a wink again last night (Monday night) but was at least able to listen to a classic rock station from 11pm to 4am. Lots of familiar nice songs, I was able to say the name of the song in 19 out of 20 songs before the first words were even sung [Jodie’s note: Marc is a music trivia master]. I don’t feel tired. I bounded out at 5:30am as soon as they opened my cell door.

I have a health screening today at 11:30m where the doc will take a blood sample and all the other stuff. Already had a tuberculosis exam (a weird injection of something); I don’t have tuberculosis, is the result of that test. One thing I’m going to say to the doctor is, "It’s too bad food services doesn’t subscribe to the Hippocratic Oath (‘First do No Harm’). Without fresh vegetables everyone here will get beriberi disease over time; without sunlight, we’ll get vitamin D deficiency," etc. I’d hate to be the doctor in this disease-causing malnutritioned environment. He must have lost some kind of bet to end up here…

The Seattle Times subscription Jodie got for me started today. It’s Monday’s edition, so I’ll get it a day later, it seems. That’s OK. Two books I asked Jodie to get for me, "Parting the Waves" and "Hammer of the Gods", arrived too! "Parting the Waves" was only $8.80 for some reason, even though its normally like $29.95. Great deal. That book is beautifully written; I got to page 100 or so at North Fraser pretrial center [before being extradited]. Started reading "Hammer of the Gods" today too.

All things considered, I’d rather be here than at North Fraser. The commissary arriving has made a world of difference, plus newspapers and books. Got pens and lined paper, food, all my toiletries, I am set! They did lose all my laundry though, but I should get replacements tomorrow.

Commisary forms are handed in on Monday, stuff arrives Tuesday. Got the same deodorant I use at home! Great razor & shave cream, a booklight to read at night, great radio & headphones, plus tuna, chicken breast, turkey breast in sealed packs for independent meals I can make. Got mixing bowl, shower shoes, batteries, etc. Mixed nuts, trail mix, and other snacks too. Sweet! My attitude is so improved. Plus I even liked the dinner tonight (hot spicy salsa on a mix of beans, cheese, tortilla, rice, and possibly chicken).

I look forward to reading about any political activity from newspaper articles. I hope people send me letters and photos through the mail, because that’s always a great thing to receive. It’ll remind me that people are still fighting for the cause even while I’m behind bars. Just as I was quoted in the CNN article about my extradition: "If just one person, me, being in jail is what it takes to arouse thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of Americans and Canadians to get out and be involved and be responsible and take charge and take the initiative, then I’m a very happy individual."

Marc Emery Prison Blog 1

submitted by on May 24, 2010
I share a cell with Oliver, a Jewish Iranian-Canadian guy (see Jodie Emery’s blog entry for more on fellow inmates). It’s like North Fraser pretrial centre, concrete & steel, but with a locker. Outside of our cell is the "range" where 60 of us eat, shower, watch Tv and play cards or dominoes or such activities, as well as walking the second level walkways for exercise.

We are locked in our cells from 10pm to 6am, and from 10am to 11:30am and 4pm to 5pm. The other times we can be in the range. Normally, the range is surprisingly quiet, most people are doing things, and the TVs are by radio signal only. An inmate lent me a radio with ear buds (my own one arrives Tuesday) and there are many, many FM music stations it can pick up, many quite good, so that’s a nice discovery. PLUS, get this, I can pick up CBC Radio One at 91.7 clear as a bell, so I can hear the news!

I asked other inmates how I could get a cell on the other side of the range, because the windows over there have sunlight coming through them, and we have no outdoor exposure here of any kind, no fresh air at all, but if I could get some sun that would be nice. You have to keep an eye on when an inmate moves out and then claim his cell, so I will keep inquiring. My cell doesn’t have a desk in it like some do, I could really use that for all my writing, there isn’t a flat surface in my cell for that.

 

The poor food is getting me a bit down, but getting my commissary goods on Tuesday will help. I hope the place I get sent to after here has better opportunities for vegetables or better food, but it looks like I’ll be in tough while in these prisons.

I’m helping a fellow who is coming off methamphetamine deal with his wasted life so far and helping to rebuild him into a good human again. You know this is what I’ll do with the inmates who always come to me for help, and of course they do come to me. But no one is really aware of my work in the field of drug addiction & recovery or my political activism, but since I don’t need help, its unnecessary that they know my storied career.

Having actual "fans" here might even be annoying because they might pester me for stories and I’m more into my studies here and listening to those who need help and working on rebuilding them into decent citizens and good sons and good parents and helping them see how and why they screwed up – I’m totally brutally candid with them and they appreciate it because I don’t want anything from them – and then how they can change and redeem their sorry-ass behaviour with proper, responsible living.

All these people have kids and parents who are very sad and disappointed and I can rock them out of their self-centered obsession. Richie went through this with me in North Fraser, but he needs another good 6 weeks of me for him to reform. He was thief for most of 20 years, lying to himself and all others blithely, yet now he is 40 and at a crossroads.

Update sent on Monday evening, May 24th after entering his guilty plea

I left for court at 6:15am, was shackled in cuffs & chains from 7am to 5pm, 10 hours, with the exception of the half hour in court 2pm to 2:30 pm. Court was fine. I plead guilty as scheduled. Britney, Jeremiah, Allison Bigelow, and Joanne Vanderwolf (an employee from 1995) was there, Joanne was wearing a No Extradition shirt and was protesting outside because she brought her FREE MARC sign into the court. I was chained and waiting in a cold cell the other 9.5 hours. I haven’t had a shower or bathroom use yet, I can’t wait to get that done but shower time next is 7:30pm and its about 6pm now.

I was on TV here today as people protested at the courthouse. That’s what inmates here tell me. A number of them saw it and are introducing themselves to now because they realize who I am, including the Mexicans. A guard also read somewhere about the protests in Canada and around the world and said, "I guess a lot of those people are saying ‘Fuck those damn Yankees that took ya away’", and I responded, "We love the American people, but the US government is bad."

I’ll be sure to call or write later, after I wash and get centered again. Even though it’s horrible here, there’s lots to be thankful for, I suppose… That’s the thing about jail, you get the blues or internalized anger over things because everything is wearing on my spirit, and its only been a little over 2 weeks.

Links and Resources

submitted by on January 1, 2010

Information

 
 
 
 

Marc Emery 

  Marc Emery Prison Blogs  Marc Emery’s writings from prison
 
"Marc Emery’s Marching Orders." Marc’s final video message before being jailed
 
 
  10 Facts About Marc Emery 10 Important Facts about Marc Emery
 
  Did You Know…? More Information on Marc Emery
 
  Marc Emery Photo Archive  Photos with Marc Emery prior to his incarceration

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  Download…Free Marc Handbill (Colour, Full Page)    Front   Back
 
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