Pubdate: Fri, 26 Aug 2005
Source: Metro (CN BC)
Page: 1
Copyright: Metro 2005
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775
Author: Maria Hampton

EMERY FEARS FOR LIFE

Prince Of Pot Will Use Bail Money To Fund Extradition Defence

Cannabis crusader Marc Emery warned yesterday that if the U.S. succeeds in 
its bid to extradite him on drug and money laundering charges, "you will 
never see me alive in Canada again."

Emery and co-accused Michelle Rainey-Fenkarek and Greg Smith sat 
emotionless in bullet-proof cubicles at the B.C. Supreme Court as Associate 
Chief Justice Patrick Dohm agreed to the cash-strapped activists' request 
to use $15,000 bail money to fund a defence team and set Sept. 16th as 
their trial's start date.

Emery, who was arrested in Halifax by the RCMP on July 29th following an 
18-month investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, is 
accused of selling marijuana seeds to Americans through mail and the 
Internet, conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and conspiracy to engage in 
money laundering, charges which could net him life in prison.

Speaking later on the courthouse steps, the self-proclaimed Prince of Pot 
said: "The DEA coming and spiriting me away to spend the rest of my life in 
prison has to be the most outrageous assault on sovereignty in the history 
of the Canadian nation.

"If a person like me can be spirited away, no one is safe."

Emery estimated he had made $4 million from his Vancouver based seed 
business over the past 11 years.

But he said the bail request was necessary because he had donated money to 
rallies, clinics and political organizations and his magazine and 
television enterprises had been damaged by fear of the DEA crackdown.

"I never kept a cent," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom