Pubdate: Tue, 02 Aug 2005
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Province
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Frank Luba
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

PRINCE OF POT EMERY IN VANCOUVER COURT TODAY

The Prince of Pot, marijuana activist Marc Emery, is to appear in B.C. 
Supreme Court in Vancouver this morning on U.S. charges.

Emery, 47, was arrested Friday on charges related to selling marijuana 
seeds over the Internet from his Hastings Street store as well as money 
laundering.

Selling pot seeds is a criminal offence in Canada and the U.S., but Emery's 
lawyer John Conroy said yesterday that nobody has been prosecuted in Canada 
for doing so in the past decade.

"The Americans are seeking to extradite him for conspiring to distribute 
marijuana, to produce marijuana and to launder money," said Conroy, who 
will apply for bail for Emery.

If extradited to the U.S. and convicted, Emery faces up to life in prison, 
with a minimum of 10 years.

Conroy called the money laundering charge "a bit peculiar."

"I don't know what the basis for that offence is at the moment but 
presumably they will say the money he received was somehow concealed as 
being monies of seed sales," said Conroy.

Also arrested were Gregory Keith Williams, 50, of North Vancouver and 
Michelle Rainey-Fenkarek, 34, an assistant to Emery.

Rainey-Fenkarek is out on $25,000 bail. Williams is in custody.
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