What interesting times we live in here in Canada. California calls for legalization and TAXATION of Marijuana. We now have medical Marijuana use in North America. It’s completely accepted in most of Europe. It’s like jaywalking in the sense that it’s a crime, but how many jaywalkers do you see get ticketed?
Jodie Emery is blogging about her and Marc’s experience. Fundamentally this is about politics as monies from Marc’s business gets channeled to groups lobbying for the legalization of Marijuana in the US and Canada. He filed his income taxes and has paid over $500K to Federal and Provincial governments and clearly showed his income as the sale of Marijuana seeds. His crime has been for mailing seeds to the US.
What an odd world we live in when someone gets more time in jail for mailing marijuana seeds than Drunk Driving, robbery, or even murder in some instances. Why is Mr Harper’s government extraditing this man?
“He will remain in jail here in BC until the federal Justice Minister, Robert Nicholson, signs the extradition order to turn Marc over to US custody. That can happen a week after September 28th or up to 60 days later. (We still urge people to call the Justice Minister and tell him to NOT extradite Marc Emery — go to www.NoExtradition.net for the contact information.)
The goal is to bring Marc Emery back to Canada as soon as possible so he can be released on day parole as a “first-time, non-violent offender”. It’s absolutely necessary to keep his story alive and in the headlines, to remind people that this is as an affront to Canadian sovereignty.”
There’s so much in this case. If you’re interested you can read more on their WEBSITE.
With the recession going on perhaps it’s time to review our attitude towards Marijuana. Do you know how much we could collect in taxes in this country and province if we legalized the sale of Marijuana? Enough to not need the HST. And saving the law enforcement costs would be a mountain of money too.
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I will be surprised if Emery lives to see 2010. His charisma will likely make him as many enemies as friends, and sadly, we are basically allowing this man to go to another country to die because the US tells us to. We are no longer sovereign. We are the US’s slave.
If Canada Legalized Marijuana they Government could likely recover the National Debit with in 6 months, If done correctly.
But when have we ever known some block head in Ottawa to do anything correctly?
I mean Legalizing it would not stamp out underground sales.. Because once it reaches the shelves the $10.00 Gram becomes 25.00 LOL Look at Bud Light Lime, $15.00 In the US for a 18 pack. $13.50 here for a Six Pack.
What I cannot believe is that Harper, is basically doing this to get rid of a political opponent. This is my problem with this situation. He (Marc Emery) did his legally run business under full transparency, paid his taxes, he almost got somewhere with the Liberals, whom at the time were not allowing this extradition to happen. And as soon as Harper got into power, now we have this situation of our Prime Minister, turning his back on our country’s citizens.
Last time I checked, I haven’t seen the USA extradite anyone from this country, or any other country for that matter, for sale of seeds. In fact, the responsibility should be borne upon the buyer that was caught ordering the seeds if it is so illegal in that country.
Fact is, Marc did nothing upon the territory of the USA. Also he happens to be the leader of a registered political party. So I just view this as Harper using this advantage to get rid of another political adversary. Especially on such a touchy subject to the Conservatives.
And what does it look like to other country’s leader’s when our government does actions like this towards Marc, and other selected citizens of our country? First off it sets a precedent as far as I’m concerned that our leader will give away any of our citizens to other country’s at the drop of a hat. Second, why should other country’s care about any of our requests when they see that we do not follow our own policies and constitution?
In any case, a great injustice has been done to one of our Fair Citizens for mainly political gain to the parties involved. I hope the government gets held to task for this in the future, for truly being one of the most secretive, and one of the most dangerous governments to our fair society. We are headed into a police state, I keep stating that on many threads. Everyone be warned.
This is sad that our (American) government will spend millions of dollars to bring this man to “justice”. I am an American and believe this man is actually someone who is willing to stop the drug violence on the streets. In a perfect world marijuana would not be illegal. Instead, today Mexican Drug Cartels reap 60% profits from just marijuana.
I am an American ready to make a change when it comes to the failed Drug War.
If Bill C-15 comes to pass in the Senate in the next few weeks it will come as a shock to over 50,000 Canadians a year that they are faced with mandatory prison time. Emerys’ case does high light the fact that the greatest threat to democracy and soverignty remains with the 80% of eligible voters under thirty years old who don’t vote and so the laws are skewed and prohibition remains. Who’s next? Your kid? Mine? His? You? Pot doesn’t kill. French fries with gravy and cheese kills. It’s murder on our health care system too. Ban that.
We live in a culture that has bred conformity for generations now. We’ve been lulled by luxury, lights, and pounding music. We’ve been alienated from doing things collectively and instead communicate by sitting in front of a keyboard and screen as you are doing now if you read this.
People don’t know how to even go about showing their feelings about this as a culture; they don’t know how to use their vote and how important it is.
It’s not the cause sometimes it’s the process and if we allow things to be steam rollered then they will.
If we do not learn the lessons from the past they are doomed to be repeated.
It made mention to lobby our MP to get a turnaround on this matter, however unfortunately, I do not think the MP’s ears in this riding will be listening.. considering everything else going on lately that they’ve turned their backs on..
But we are headed slowly and slowly into a police state. And for those that care to know, the liberals may have passed bill C-15 on the floor but they are currently blocking this in the senate. Now you have the real reason why Harper is stacking the senate. So he can pass this law and many others without any difficulty, thereby pushing us more and more into that police state. And to those that claim that he will abolish senate, well, I think once he has it stacked in his favor, he will either push all laws through that he wants so as to screw the rest of Canada, before abolishing senate. Or, he will not abolish it and continue on his power grab.
In any case, again, I feel for Marc Emery and his family and what they have to go through, and I really hope Harper and his cronies eventually get their just desserts for turning their backs on one hell of a fine, Canadian Citizen!
Who was whining that Ignatieff is American? Just look at the stance and policies that Harper is adopting. There couldn’t be anything more Un-Canadian, than Harper is right now!
More information on Bill C-15:
Bill C-15: Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Cannabis Offences
http://www.cannabisfacts.ca/mandatoryminimums.html
-FrankD
Cannabis Facts for Canadians
http://www.CannabisFacts.ca
Essential information for an informed debate on cannabis policy.
**Tokin’ Respect for Parliament**
On the 20th of April, at 4:20 in the afternoon, a cloud of marijuana smoke rose from the lawn of Parliament Hill, hovered and built for a few moments, then rolled lazily down Wellington Street. No deaths, property damage, or injuries were reported, and the resulting carnage was confined to pizza and sausages – purchased at food establishments on nearby streets shortly afterward.
The annual event which played out under the watch of RCMP and Ottawa Police saw no arrests made. This is not to say however that police don’t enforce marijuana laws in other places, or that lives aren’t ruined at the whim of law enforcement at other times. What it does say, is that the enforcement of law has become arbitrary.
Our nation and culture stand on the “rule of law”, and even the textbooks in our schools explain that when a law becomes unenforceable or society’s values change, then the law must change.
Sadly, given our Justice and Safety Ministers’ views of Charter Rights, and their blustering compatriots’ support for unequal and arbitrary application of the law, it is more likely that we will see the textbooks change.
Yours,
Trenny
From 2008:
http://www.video4viet.com/watchvideo.html?id=idBT9So1ngQ&title=420%20On%20Parliament%20Hill%20(international%20Weed%20Smoking%20Day)
from 2009:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k8jGqGkEEM
Good gosh that’s well written Trent. You should email in and I’ll put you to work.
Jamie
Anyone caring to write Marc in prison may address letters to:
Marc Emery
CS # 06032080
1451 Kingsway Ave.
Port Coquitlam, BC
V3C 1S2
He will be there for a few weeks more and then shipped to the US.