Pubdate: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC) Copyright: 2014 Metro Canada Contact: http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775 Author: Nick Wells Page: A1 EMERY WELCOMED BACK LIKE ROYALTY Downtown rally. 'Prince of Pot' says U.S. jail term hasn't deterred him from continuing the fight for marijuana legalization The Prince is officially home. Marc Emery, B.C.'s infamous "Prince of Pot," was welcomed by hundreds at a downtown rally when he returned to Vancouver Sunday afternoon, vowing to pick up where he left off after serving time on drug-related charges in the United States. "It's all kind of dreamlike. Vancouver has changed dramatically.... The legalization landscape itself has changed dramatically," he said upon his arrival at the Vancouver International Airport. Emery was arrested by Canadian police and charged in the United States with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana seeds and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He later pleaded guilty to one charge of drug distribution and was sentenced to five years in U.S. jail in September 2010. He was released on Aug. 12 as a result of good behaviour. Emery says he's willing to be arrested again to reinforce his message of ending the prohibition on marijuana. "I intend to hit the ground running. Oct. 19 (2015) is legalization day - everybody just has to show up for it," he said, referring to the date of the next federal election. Emery supports the Liberal party for its stance on legalizing marijuana. He plans to create a dedicated media campaign to raise awareness. "I'm going to point out why everyone is going to benefit from a legal environment." One downside to his incarceration is he is banned from travelling to the U.S., which he says is "disappointing." But he couldn't have been disappointed by the enthusiastic crowd that welcomed him home at a rally in Victory Square, with about 200 people packing the park to catch a glimpse of him. Megan McRae and Liz Turner said they had been waiting to see Emery since they heard he was coming home. McRae works at the B.C. Marijuana Party lounge, technically making Emery her boss, though she's never met him. Turner first heard of Emery when she was growing up in Calgary. "I was inspired by Marc to move out here," Turner said. Emery's activism emboldened her to do more research about the health impacts of cannabis and become involved in the legalization movement. Speaking at the rally, Emery urged attendees to go out and vote for the federal Liberal party, mentioning and supporting his wife's possible candidacy for the Vancouver-East riding. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom