cannabisnews.com: Emery Pushes Pot-Stirring Habit










  Emery Pushes Pot-Stirring Habit

Posted by CN Staff on August 27, 2003 at 06:41:53 PT
By Ian Gillespie, Free Press Columnist 
Source: London Free Press  

Marc Emery rubs some people the wrong way. And that's precisely his intention. Yesterday afternoon, Emery showed up on the front steps of London police department headquarters and lit a marijuana cigarette -- or in his words, a "giant bomber" -- that he then passed among about 75 onlookers. Rub. 
As others fired up joints and pipes and pot smoke swirled toward police headquarters, Emery claimed that smoking pot is not only legal, but morally and ethically right. "Marijuana does not impair," he told the crowd. "Marijuana enhances!" Rub rub rub. Emery was here as part of his self-described Summer of Legalization cross-country tour, which has included stops in Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary. Today, he heads to Hamilton. On Saturday, the former owner of the City Lights Book Shop (he left London 11 years ago) plans to speak at Queen's Park in Toronto. Emery's tour revolves around a recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision, which ruled against overturning a precedent-setting Ontario Superior Court decision that cleared a teenager of marijuana possession charges. The Superior Court judge ruled there is no current ban on possessing pot in Ontario, because the federal government failed to comply with a July 2000 court order to create a new law dealing with the drug. Under proposed new federal laws, possession of up to 15 grams of pot -- enough for about 20 joints -- would be a minor offence carrying no criminal record. Police forces in Ontario have said they won't lay charges for possession of less than 30 grams of pot until the laws are clarified. Yesterday, I didn't see a single police officer emerge from the headquarter's front door during the 90-minute demonstration. But though he wasn't charged by London police (he has been charged in six other cities), Emery insists damage is still being done. "Even though there was no marijuana law in effect in 2002, we had over 50,000 charges laid (in Canada)," said the fast-talking activist during an interview before the Dundas Street demonstration. "And that's staggering. There's no other civil rights violation as massive." Emery says about two million Canadians have been charged with cannabis-related offences in the last 35 years, and that this so-called "pogrom" has harmed countless Canadians. "When we incarcerate people for marijuana and take a person away from their family, we're doing incalculable harm," he said. "We spend billions of dollars and we give police incredible authoritarian power . . . causing a generation or two to never trust the police. "Where does Canada benefit by any of these laws relating to marijuana?" he asked. "We don't. There's no benefit." But isn't Emery just a selfish pothead who wants nothing more than to get stoned? "Even if I'm some hedonistic pothead, I shouldn't have to suffer jail," said Emery. "And even if that were true, it doesn't validate the fact that the majority of Canadians who don't smoke marijuana are responsible and explicitly supportive of our oppression." Rub, rub, rub. Emery argues legalizing marijuana would bring the government more tax revenue and put criminal traffickers out of business. And because of his crusade, some call Emery a civil-rights crusader. I see him as a guy who's dedicated his life to rubbing our faces in things we'd rather ignore. When he was 20 years old, Emery had a vasectomy because he didn't think he could devote enough time to properly raising children. (Rub.) In 1984, he helped found the Freedom Party of Ontario, but left in 1990 because he said Canada would be better off without any government. (Rub.) In 1991, he protested a London city bylaw prohibiting sidewalk signs. (Rub.) He condemned the public school system as "prisons for children" and taught his stepchildren -- now in their 20s -- at home. (Rub.) In 1992, he tried (unsuccessfully) to get arrested for selling literature about marijuana. The same year, as part of his attempts to overturn Canada's obscenity laws, Emery was convicted of selling banned copies of an album by the rap group 2 Live Crew. (Emery received a conditional discharge and 12 months probation.) And yet yesterday, the 45-year-old rabble-rouser admitted he earns $300,000 a year from his Vancouver-based mail-order marijuana seed business -- and pays $144,000 in annual taxes on that declared income. "But you know what?" he said. "I'm grateful to pay (the taxes). You're talking to a guy who's had his money used against him in five raids, 13 jailings and 17 arrests. "And I still believe Canada is the greatest place on earth." Rub, rub, rub. Source: London Free Press (CN ON)Author: Ian Gillespie, Free Press ColumnistPublished: August 27, 2003Copyright: 2003 The London Free Press Contact: letters lfpress.comWebsite: http://www.lfpress.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis Culture Magazinehttp://www.cannabisculture.com/Prince of Pot Plans Protesthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17155.shtmlPot Smokers Get Off Scot-Freehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17152.shtmlAll Toke & Pro Action http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17132.shtmlCannabisNews Articles -- Marc Emeryhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=emery 

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Comment #14 posted by FoM on August 29, 2003 at 10:56:21 PT
herbdoc215
I had to remove your charges againt Emery because I don't want to get stuck in the middle of a law suit if one would occur. I don't know how Canada is about things like that but here you can be sued. 
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on August 29, 2003 at 10:48:17 PT
herbdoc215
I'd appreciate it if you would stop. Thank you.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on August 29, 2003 at 10:40:01 PT

herbdoc215
Even if what you say is true it isn't right for a news forum. I'll delete these comments. 
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Comment #5 posted by delariand on August 28, 2003 at 01:22:52 PT

Richard Paul Zuckerm
Posting that kind of propaganda is detrimental to our cause. People aren't going to believe anything in the comments if they see things that extreme. The sources you cite are webpages on a cheap hosting service, and provide no sources for their own claims, it's likely a single person with a computer posting their opinions. 
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Comment #4 posted by Richard Paul Zuckerm on August 27, 2003 at 12:14:48 PT:

PEACE WITH HEMP FOR FUEL; NOT FOSSIL FUEL WARS!
The September 11, 2001, airplane crashes, the war in Iraq, and the concealment of the truth by the newspapers and television from the American sheeple, are part of the plan of the Bush/Rockefeller/Vatican Illuminati, for global control of our fuel, IRAQI COMMANDER SWEARS HE SAW USAF FLY SADDAM OUT OF BAGHDAD, by Bill Dash, www.100megsfree4.com/farshores/sc04bd.htm, as part of the Pentagon's War against Dissent, HORRIFYING US SECRET WEAPON UNLEASHED IN BAGHDAD, by Bill Dash, www.100megsfree4.com/farshores/sc04bd.htm; to prevent us from living free from government control, which would easily be done thru the use of Hemp for fuel. See, e.g.:
www.hempcar.org; Shadow of the Swastika, www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.html.Why shouldn't be believe it was state-sponsored terrorism? The Bush and Rockefellers financed Adolph Hitler. See, e.g., www.tarpley.net; Shadow of the Swastika, supra. These government supremacists have lied their way to power since they coaxed the colonies to sign the Constitution with the promise of a Bill of Rights, which, by the way, was put together after the people rose up in arms as Congress wanted to instead revise the tax laws. See, e.g.: Hologram Of Liberty, www.javelinpress.com.Richard Paul Zuckerman, Box 159, Metuchen, N.J., 08840-0159, richardzuckerman2002 yahoo.com, (Cell telephone number)(908) 403-6990; Member of: www.normlnj.org; www.norml.org; www.cannabisculture.com; www.hightimes.com; www.aclu-nj.org; www.greenparty.org; www.njlp.org; www.jpfo.org; www.njmilitia.org; www.dav.org; www.fija.org;
Diploma in Paralegal, New York University, 2003;
Diploma in Truck Driving, Smith & Solomon School of Truck Driving, Edison, N.J., 1995;
B.A. in Political Science, Kean College of New Jersey [presently named Kean University], Union, N.J., 1987.
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Comment #3 posted by 420eh on August 27, 2003 at 10:06:28 PT

blank
this article leaves me speechless...i'm not sure what to write or how to say it...its....420eh
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Comment #2 posted by Kegan on August 27, 2003 at 09:13:02 PT

The Author
I disagree"I see him as a guy who's dedicated his life to rubbing our faces in things we'd rather ignore. "It shows that this author knows the current situation is wrong and crazy. He is pointing out that we as a culture and a country, would like to ignore FACTS.He was smart enough to show that the most famous pot smoker in Canada, is NOT some dreadlocked stoner who has a Huh huh huh laugh and says "Man...." at the end of every statement. He is an intelligent and elloquent businessman who has made, and spent, MILLIONS.This country needs a Marc Emery running EVERY province.
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Comment #1 posted by Truth on August 27, 2003 at 08:39:42 PT

Rub rub rub
The only one that looks stupid here is the author.
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