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