There's a smoky celebration in East Vancouver today ahead of Marc Emery's release from prison

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      Today (July 9) is the official end of Marc Emery’s five-year sentence for selling marijuana seeds to customers in the U.S.

      To mark the occasion, a “smoky celebration” is planned for 4 p.m. at Cannabis Culture Headquarters at 307 West Hastings Street.

      However, Vancouver’s Prince of Pot isn’t actually scheduled for release until tomorrow (July 10), at which point he will be transferred from Yazoo City Prison in Mississippi into the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. (Yazoo doesn’t release inmates on Wednesdays.)

      How long Emery spends in the hands of border security is entirely up to that bureaucracy. His wife, Jodie Emery, previously told the Straight that the couple expects to be reunited in Windsor, Ontario, in the late summer. Past precedents suggest it’s possible the transfer might not be completed until as late as sometime in September.

      Speaking to the Straight from Yazoo City Prison in June, Emery said he plans to return to political activism almost as soon as he’s back in Canada.

      But first things first. There are public parties planned for Toronto and then Vancouver, Emery noted. And then he and Jodie will be travelling abroad, on a speaking tour through Europe and a bit of a vacation. A second trip planned for 2015 is expected to take them to Jamaica, Uruguay, Argentina, and South Africa.

      By that time, Canada will be preparing for the 2015 federal election, which Emery said will see him and Jodie make a 30-stop cross-country tour beginning in early September.

      We’ll be trying to get young people out,” he said. “It’s really important to motivate them to go out and vote for the Liberal party, because they could also split the vote between the Greens and the NDP, and I really don’t want to see that happen.”

      In recent years, the Emerys have become vocal supporters of the Liberals and party leader Justin Trudeau.

      On June 18, the Straight reported the Liberals are considering Jodie as their candidate for Vancouver East, a pick that would serve as a strong signal the party is serious about reforming how Canada deals with marijuana.

      Emery said he has no plans to run for office himself.

      “Getting rid of Stephen Harper and making sure Justin Trudeau is elected along with the Liberal party is a pretty major job,” Emery said. "Really, the only job that I’m going to have in the next year.”

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      Comments

      9 Comments

      HaGoodOne

      Jul 9, 2014 at 3:25pm

      I think he should consult Trudeau first......not a good role model. Too stupid to understand US Law, or felt he was to self-entitled to worry. Bit him on the ass didn't it?

      hagoodoneisamoron

      Jul 9, 2014 at 5:19pm

      Going to jail for selling seeds made him more famous worked out in his favour
      favour

      FreedomAtLast

      Jul 10, 2014 at 1:46am

      America imported Marc as a political prisoner and is exporting him as a political hero. Canada will be glad to have back home the man who made legalization a reality. Very happy news!

      dan

      Jul 10, 2014 at 5:56am

      The Trudeau camp is reportedly giving his interest the cold shoulder, but based on the Globe and Mail article on Doug Ford last year, he might be welcome to boost Doug's provincial bid.

      geddylees

      Jul 10, 2014 at 9:29am

      Legalization? Oh yes, and the inflated prices of weed thanks to taxes and the mark-ups to follow. Wonderful accomplishment. Fools.

      SayWhat

      Jul 10, 2014 at 11:01am

      Political hero? Just a stoner, US can keep him.

      blah

      Jul 10, 2014 at 2:15pm

      @Freedomatlast, Marc went to jail for selling seeds. He had absolutely NOTHING to do with legalization. Just a stoner who's riding his 15 minutes. And who needs legalization if it's going to cost more than marijuana costs now???

      craig to blah

      Jul 11, 2014 at 5:55am

      Just a stoner that had nothing to do with legalization? Boy what planet did you just come from. If you can read you should read what the DEA said in his trial. He give ALL his seed money that amounted to millions to help people get off of charges and fight through the courts for legalization. If that is nothing to further the cause I don't know what is. MAYBE if you had a set of balls that size you could make a useful contribution yourself. He should never have went to jail period. Just a bunch of scared politicians and now they show their real colors as they are getting in the grow op business themselves. IE George Smitherman the head of our so called health agency that now sees dollars where before he seen hippies. lol

      ryan g

      Jul 11, 2014 at 7:16am

      geddyless- people do not want legalization just so we can buy expensive pot at the Cannabis Control Board of Ontario when it is created. It is about freedom, with harper, allowing 7 private prisons to lobby their way into Canada it is scary for small time marijuana growers. Instead of a slap on the wrist for a small personal grow, private prisons pressure judges to make regular citizens to go to jail and do labour work for the private prison companies, working like slaves all day, so the private prisons make money. Why? because we do not have the freedom to grow pot. Legalization under trudeau will give us the right for homegrow, the true freedom that comes with legalization, not to mention legal growers will have cheap weed for them and their friends, DROPPING the street price, therefore dropping the price of pot at the CCBO. Its bot about expensive store pot, its about keeping non-violent criminals free for small time marijuana growing, the way Canada the "land of the free" should be. Harper wants corruption by puttingmarijuana users in jail, trudeau wants freedom for the over 2 million marijuana users in Canada. Make the choice in 2015....