Pubdate: Fri, 05 Aug 2005
Source: Chief, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Whistler Printing & Publishing
Contact:  http://www.squamishchief.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2414
Author: Sylvie Paillard, Reporter
Referenced: Vancouver Sun column 
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n1206.a09.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Marc+Emery (Emery, Marc)

CANADIAN SOVEREIGNTY ON THE LINE

I'm gonna do it. I'm going to throw my two cents in about the Marc
Emery case.

In case you've been living in a cave for the last few days, allow me
to get you up to date.

On July 29, the Vancouver Police Department executed a search warrant
on a store on West Hastings on behalf of the American Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA).

The raided building houses the headquarters of the BC Marijuana Party
and as part of the raid, police searched the party's files. The DEA
then sought to extradite Emery for selling seeds to Americans over the
Internet.

And as of press time, the B.C. Supreme Court had granted Emery bail
(with Crown prosecutors asking for denial of bail on the grounds that
he's likely to re-offend -- duh) and he had yet to come up with the
imposed $50,000.

I've gone back and forth on my opinion of the merits of this case and
can only come up with the relatively simplistic notion that I don't
want the American government's campaigns being imposed upon me in my
own country.

It's marijuana now, but where will it end? As Ian Mulgrew, columnist
with the Vancouver Sun said, it is an "outrageous infringement of
Canadian sovereignty."

In a press conference, the DEA said they targeted Emery because of his
"arrogance." Emery is trying to impose political reform around
marijuana laws.

If he has broken laws, it remains Canada's business to charge
him.

The fact is Canadians have very different beliefs about marijuana than
does the American government.

Those charged face potential life terms in U.S. federal prisons, while
just days ago, the BC Court of Appeal said that a two-year sentence
for growing 100 marijuana plants was too harsh, and imposed probation
instead.

Canada has refused extradition to countries where the alleged criminal
faces the death penalty. We should also refuse extradition when
alleged criminals face penalties we've deemed too harsh.

Especially when the so-called criminal is a Canadian citizen who was
never prosecuted of the alleged crime.

I vote for Canadian politicians who, I hope, will uphold my ideals. I
believe a war on pot is useless and diverts money and manpower from
fighting far more harmful drugs.

While the feds target pot smokers, a burgeoning meth epidemic is
swamping communities everywhere. But Canadians have no control over
American political zealots.

To use an Americanism, the U.S. government's behaviour is plain
undemocratic.

So who's being arrogant? 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake