Vancouver marijuana activist Marc Emery denied transfer to Canada

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      Marijuana activist Marc Emery has been denied a request to be transferred to Canada to serve the remainder of his prison sentence, according to his wife Jodie Emery.

      “He called me and said that he got a letter from the Canadian consulate, saying that they had been informed by the U.S. government that Marc’s transfer application has been refused, on the grounds of the seriousness of the offence and law enforcement concerns,” she told the Straight by phone today (April 15).

      She said she believes the “seriousness of the offence” argument relates to the U.S. Attorney General's designation of her husband as the most wanted drug trafficking kingpin from Canada in a press release sent out the day of his arrest.

      “Marc has never dealt in drugs, he only sold seeds and paid taxes and all the rest”¦ but I think that’s pretty damning to say that they’re still willing to stick by the idea that Marc is a threat and shouldn’t be returned to Canada,” she said.

      The transfer application can’t be made again for two years, she noted.

      The marijuana activist was sentenced to five years in prison on September 2010 for selling marijuana seeds. He pleaded guilty in May 2010 to one count of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and was extradited to the U.S.

      His wife added the Conservative government signed off on his extradition on May 10, 2010.

      “They’re responsible for having sent him down there, to face this sentence, which really is so outrageous and far more punitive than selling seeds and being a political activist should warrant,” she said.

      The activist known as the “Prince of Pot” is currently in a transfer facility in Oklahoma City and is waiting to be sent to a facility in Mississippi.

      Emery said her husband was “devastated” by the news.

      “He just hopes that I’m going to be ok, and of course I just hope that he’ll be ok, and we’re going to stick through this together no matter what happens,” she said.

      “It’s certainly heartbreaking, to say the least,” she added.

      You can follow Yolande Cole on Twitter at twitter.com/yolandecole.

      Comments

      19 Comments

      SillyCons

      Apr 15, 2011 at 3:44pm

      This is really the stupidest reason to be put in jail. Selling seeds does not make someone a "kingpin" let alone a drug dealer. Weren't they just hemp seeds he was selling? Hemp does not get you high. I hung out with Emery about 18 years ago while he was packaging up some seeds for retail - they were hemp seeds! He sold hemp seeds and not marijuana seeds he was very clear and vocal about this fact that day. I would like to note that they are now legally for sale all over the US anyhow. So why such harsh punishment for/of Emery from both Canada and the US? Political? Is he in jail because he is a freethinking activist?

      Harper and his Conservatives are full of backwater minds from a bygone era - why they agreed to extradite Emery I will never understand. All it does is serve to show the people of Canada that they don't have your back! So be careful citizens of Canada with every move you and those around you make inside and outside of our borders because our Government will not be there for you. It is crazy - this is not the Canada I was raised in. It is well beyond time these idiots get out of our offices of power.

      Dread Nugent

      Apr 15, 2011 at 4:06pm

      He got his rear handed to him cuz he thought he was an untouchable... every interview with this guy I have ever seen made him look like a delusional cultist .... do your time bigmouth... Prince Of Pot is now the Pauper In the Pen.... and please do something stupid so they tack on another 10 years...

      Sven Crawson

      Apr 15, 2011 at 4:36pm

      Does anyone really think it was okay for the government of Canada to hand over a citizen for violating the law of another country on Canadian soil that isn't against the law here? It's a chilling precedent set by the "Harper Government," no matter what you think of Marc personally.

      Nat

      Apr 15, 2011 at 4:47pm

      Emery's seed-selling may have got him arrested, but his tremendous ego and self-righteousness got Canada to turn its back on him. He knew he was breaking US law, he flaunted it and expected his country to bail him out. And all his supporters who blame the Conservative government should wake up and smell what you're shoveling. Maybe they would have 'had his back' if he displayed a little more humility.

      Donald Lee Matson

      Apr 15, 2011 at 5:38pm

      @Nat: Even if what you stated about Mr. Emery were true (not), having a tremendous ego and self righteousness is not sufficient reason for our Government not to pursue his release and/or transfer home. Understand this, according to our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Every Canadian is Equal under the Law. The very act of allowing Mr. Emery to be extradited to the US is immoral, unjust, indecent, criminal, and UnCanadian. Furthermore, if having a tremendous ego and self righteousness were an offense, then Mr. Harper is the Top Criminal in Canada and should be jailed! I hope that the new PM will appeal to the US for Marc's transfer to a Canadian prison and shortly after be released on parole. Cocaine smugglers from the US regularly get transferred back to their country. To keep Mr. Emery in a US prison is a Political maneuver by the US Department of Justice, and therefore Mr. Emery is a political prisoner contrary to the US Constitution. I truly thought that Pres. Obama was different than GW Bush. I'm getting to dislike America and Americans more and more each passing day. What a bunch of hypocritical miscreants!

      EgadsNo

      Apr 15, 2011 at 6:20pm

      Sorry "hemp seeds" -SillyCons, that is not a good argument- hemp and marijuana are the same plant and the conditions you grow it determines the output. Finding "hemp seeds" in your car in Arizona used to get you locked up with the key thrown away.

      I certainly cannot argue that it is completely idiotic he is locked up, and greedy government agencies should be ashamed of themselves for putting their budgets ahead of people.

      beelzebub

      Apr 15, 2011 at 9:06pm

      I see she still trots out that old nugget that dear mark paid taxes. ONLY after being audited and assessed honey, not by choosing to be a good citizen.

      Pat Crowe

      Apr 16, 2011 at 12:12am

      Arrogant, pretentious, self righteous.
      Heatbag.

      Mike47

      Apr 16, 2011 at 2:07am

      Canada should've refused to extradite him. End of discussion. Only non-peaceful crimes like murder, rape, assault etc. should warrant extradition.

      Taxpayers R Us

      Apr 16, 2011 at 2:18am

      Yet another reminder to get out and vote:

      If this was any other party than the Cons, they would have gotten him back onto Canadian soil because that's what Canada does.

      Vote ABC - anything but conservative.