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.
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