Pubdate: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html Website: http://www.theprovince.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: John Colebourn Page: A3 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?196 (Emery, Marc) CHEERING CROWD GREETS PRINCE OF POT Marc Emery Returns Home Determined to Continue the Fight for Legalization of Marijuana The Prince of Pot on Sunday returned to the place where his marijuana crusade began and told supporters his time in prison in the United States has only given him more motivation to finally get pot legalized in Canada. "I'm feeling better than ever," Marc Emery told a cheering crowd of close to 1,000 people at Victory Square in downtown Vancouver, directly across from his hemp store on Hastings Street. "I'm more motivated than ever and we are going to get this thing done," he said about getting pot legalized in Canada. Emery said they plan to work hard to have the legalization of marijuana become a major issue in the next federal election in October, 2015. "We have 14 months to put up the biggest campaign possible," he said of their hopes to obtain a nationwide referendum on making pot legal. During his jail term of four-and-a-half years for selling pot seeds to a U.S. buyer, Emery was moved to a number of prisons, and spent much of his sentence in a Louisiana facility. "I was well treated on the inside," he said. "I've come home to a tremendous opportunity." With his wife Jodie Emery seeking the federal Liberal nomination for Vancouver East, Emery said he is hoping Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party are kicked out of office in the next election because of their unwillingness to legalize pot. "I think we have a good Liberal tide and we sure need that to happen," he said. Since he was sent to jail, both the states of Colorado and Washington have opened up marijuana dispensaries. Emery noted how huge tourist dollars could stay south of the border as people go to places where they can buy pot without worrying about getting busted. "All these visitors to Colorado are going there and saying, 'Wow, I'd like to turn our hometown into this,' " he said. He thinks Alaska and Oregon will be next in allowing pot stores to open up. "I was happy to watch this, even from prison," he said. Prior to Emery's arrival at Victory Square after flying in from Toronto, pot activist and Sensible B.C. campaigner Dana Larsen told the crowd that Emery "was so inspirational for so many people, he has paid that with four-and-a-half years in an American prison." Many in the crowd maintained that pot helps with their medical condition and should be legalized. "We're here to support the cannabis culture," said Bernice Verde, 72, who has arthritis, stomach cancer and fibromyalgia. "I use pot because of a medical condition and without it I would be in severe pain," she said. Verde said she uses pot in butter and even bread. "It helps to relax me so I'm not in so much pain," she explained. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom