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'Prince of Pot' sows the seeds of his own destruction
Tony Thompson | The Observer | April 30, 2006

Marc Emery is not your average international drug kingpin. The man described by the American Drug Enforcement Agency as Canada's biggest trafficker and self-styled 'Prince of Pot', who faces the death penalty if convicted in the US, freely admits to having made millions from marijuana. He ensures as many people as possible know about it and even listing his profession as 'marijuana seed vendor' on his tax returns.

In Canada, possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana or seeds carries a 12-month prison sentence and a $1,000 fine, but the law is almost never enforced, making marijuana all but legal.

The proof of this is everywhere. Cafes in a Vancouver district known as 'Vansterdam' allow customers to bring their own marijuana and smoke it at their leisure, often testing out a variety of bongs and vaporisers.

Emery's influence has reached well beyond Canada. In the past decade he has sold more than 5 million seeds over the internet and, via mail order, at least 3 million to the US. Though locally the authorities were willing to turn a blind eye, the DEA saw things differently.

After repeatedly finding his seeds at the heart of illegal growing operations throughout the US, it made Emery its sole Canadian target and launched an 18-month investigation which ended in his arrest last July.

On Thursday, Emery will appear at a preliminary hearing before his trial for extradition to the US for selling marijuana seeds - a crime for which no Canadian has even been jailed.

Under American law, selling more than 60,000 seeds qualifies for the death penalty. Emery is the first person to be arrested with enough seeds to qualify. In the basement of the shop that doubles as the headquarters for the pro-legalisation party he founded, Emery is the first to admit that, in many ways, he has brought his troubles on himself.

'I guess I've spent the last few years undermining the DEA and mocking their war on drugs. They are the ones with the guns; the only thing we had on our side was the plant. The only thing we could do to win was to spread the plant.

'I wanted to increase the number of people growing it, lower the price and spread it throughout the world. I wanted to start a self-financed capitalist revolution. A revolution through retail.'

The business made C$4m (£1.9m) profit, but Emery gave it away to pro-cannabis causes. He makes no secret of his vision - to 'overgrow' the governments of the world by spreading marijuana faster than anti-drug agents can eradicate it.

'They call me a drug kingpin and say that I am bigger than any other gang in Canada, yet when they raided me they found no drugs, no sports cars, no palaces, no money. I have spent it all on supporting the cause.'

Emery believes the DEA is politically motivated. In a hastily withdrawn official statement issued on the day of his arrest, attributed to Karen Tandy, head of the DEA, his arrest was described as 'a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the US and Canada, but also to the marijuana legalisation movement ... Drug legalisation lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on.'

Emery describes his arrest as 'the greatest battle of my illustrious career' and compares himself to Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi. Becoming a martyr - preferably a living one - for the legalisation movement is the quickest way to achieve his goal of seeing marijuana legalised. 'The war on marijuana is the most important issue of our time. I want to see drug-peace in my lifetime.'

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Buzzby

Why not Jesus? Karen Tandy could appear in the role of Judas and write her own gospel detailing how it was necessary to bust Marc in order for him to fulfill his destiny. Mel Gibson could make a movie...


So why the Hell is everyone vilifying the DEA? It's hard to become a martyr without an Evil Enemy to take you out of the game. It's no fun playing the Heavy, but someone's got to do it!

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Toking Jedi

I must admit, that is quite a scary prospect. But somehow the DEA decribes him as a "drug kingpin", even when he hasn't benefitted at all from his sales, save for the cause of legalization.

And it has been working. Hopefully, others will take up the battle standard and rally the rest of Emery's followers to follow in his footsteps.

Like I said, I don't think the DEA has made the distinction between Emery and a true drug "kingpin".

I agree whole-heartedly with the Prince here. The DEA is a government organization run by politicians, and is playing a game of politics.

I'm sure he will. If he gets prosecuted, even only jailed (God FORBID the death penalty), he will become one of the most important marijuana martyrs of his time, up there with Tommy Chong. And the masses will follow...

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troublemaker_42

They are not going for the death penalty. If they were, Cnada would not extridite him to US custody, and no one has even given the slightest indication they EVER wanted to persue that option.

Little Nicky

No, they just want to put him in prison for decades thats all. For selling seeds.
Marc Emery has done a lot of good for the pro pot movement in CANADA. It was never his mission to legalize marijuana here in the US and I suspect thats why there are so many haters (I didn't mention your name Buzzby) at this forum that don't mind seeing him disappear in the US gulag.

 

MrIMStoned

Why wouldn't Canada extradite him if he was going for the death penalty. Is 20 years in prison not a harsh penalty? He would never have gotten that in Canada. Also, they have not given the slightest indication what options they will persue. So anything is possible.

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Buzzby

Didn't you read the article? Emery wants to be a martyr. It would be cruel to disappoint a man with such deep convictions. To openly break the law and not expect to go to jail you'd have to be an idiot or a martyr-wannabe. Emery doesn't seem to be an idiot... But anything is possible.

It's cute how they keep bringing up the death penalty when it was never on the table. I always have a lot of faith in the words of people who lie to me.

troublemaker_42

Exactly Buzzby. Don't you love it when people keep bringing up the death penalty when it was never mentioned? But after all....anything is possible! I know what the plan REALLY is.....they'll extridite Marc for seed sales, assuring Cnada they ill not seek the death penalty. Then, as soon as the US has custody, they'll begin to pursue it. Unless of course they just shoot him on the spot!

Tolerance4all

For those of you viewing this thread. Look at the "debate tactics" used by the detractors compared to the posts of the supporters. I will not comment. I want to see if anyone else sees what I see. Please comment.

troublemaker_42

I see a difference!!!! The "detractors" are basing their statements on fact, whereas everyone else is basing theirs on wild speculation. Thats the most obvious difference I see. The "detractors" also see nothing wrong with someone being punished for a law they broke on their own free will, and who publicized it. Emery laid the brickwork not only knowing it was a possibility he'd get charged, but virtually assuring he would.