Smoke it, toke it, vape it, eat it - marijuana, it seems, is going mainstream. Once widely reviled by society at large as the demon weed, medical-grade cannabis is now available through federally licensed growers with a doctor's prescription and even some highly respected health organizations are calling for the herb to be legalized and sold as a taxable commodity like alcohol, in government-regulated outlets. At the same time, Canadians also appear to be softening their attitudes towards the drug. [continues 636 words]
Collection moving to Detroit, while organizer plans 'world-class dispensary' for Vancouver For the last decade, $2.50 would get you a 30-minute tour through the ins and outs of herbal medicine - from the story behind Absinthe to a brief history of magic mushrooms in Canada to ancient cannabis use. But after 10 years in Vancouver, the Herb Museum - billed as a global one-of-a-kind site for scope and accessibility - is closing its doors to make way for a seed sanctuary in the BC Marijuana Party Building. [continues 241 words]
CANNABIS is seen as a harmful and dangerous drug but many believe it should be declassified. This year Brighton became home to a new campaign group which openly uses the drug in public and is fighting to make it legal. FLORA THOMPSON reports... WALK through The Lanes on a Saturday afternoon and you may see someone casually lighting up a cannabis 'joint'. Members of the Brighton Cannabis Club flout the law in public as part of their bid to make the drug legal. [continues 773 words]
Citizen Marc Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 Starring: Marc Emery Directed by: Roger Evan Larry and Sandra Tomc Running time: 92 minutes 'Prince of Pot' Emery Perturbs Documentary Makes It Very Easy to Dislike Marijuana Advocate, Who Film Suggests Touted Legalization for Political Gain Marc Emery wants to be seen as a modern-day David slaying the government Goliath. He wants to be seen as the king of the underdogs, the indefatigable force of justice, and a guy who is so honest and straightforward, it's impossible not to like him. [continues 564 words]
IF Marc Emery is "one of the most influential forces in the modern marijuana legalization movement," the movement should look for some new leaders. That is the obvious conclusion to make after viewing Citizen Marc, the Canadian-made documentary that does little more than give the so-called Prince of Pot a silver-screen soapbox to air his libertarian views on marijuana laws. Emery was released from a Louisiana prison earlier this year after serving most of his five-year sentence for exporting marijuana seeds in 2005 from his Vancouver business to the U.S. The film, directed by Vancouver's Roger Larry, retraces Emery's steps from owning a London, Ont., bookstore at 17 to becoming a perennial candidate for almost any party that will have him, whether it's the Libertarians, the NDP or, of course, the Marijuana party. [continues 307 words]
New Film on Legalization Advocate Marc Emery Is, Like the Man Himself, Not Without Its Controversy It's fitting that a documentary on a figure as controversial as self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery should be subject to some controversy itself. At its core, Citizen Marc wrestles not only with the topic of Emery's legal troubles - the pot activist recently served four years in a U.S. prison for "conspiracy to manufacture marijuana" - but also takes on the complexity of the man himself, who has arguably been the single most significant figure in the fight for marijuana legalization in recent history. [continues 492 words]
TORONTO - Marc Emery is often hailed as the Prince of Pot, a beloved champion of marijuana legalization and Canadian sovereignty. But in Citizen Marc, the famed activist is portrayed as an ambiguous figure, driven as much by a quest for celebrity and libertarian politics as he is by principle. "There's no question that Emery loves getting attention, yet there's also the question that he's politically effective as an activist," said director Roger Evan Larry, who co-wrote the film with Sandra Tomc. "We leave it to the viewer to parse that out." [continues 639 words]
CitizenMarc is no pot puff piece. The documentary on marijuana activist Marc Emery, written and produced by Canadian filmmaking couple Roger Evan Larry and Sandra Tomc, is being released Friday in 13 Canadian cities, including London at Landmark Cinemas. While Emery is known for his public crusade to legalize marijuana, don't write this documentary off as a made-for-stoners special. The well-researched film traces Emery's activism roots back to his days operating City Lights Bookshop on Richmond St. in London. [continues 351 words]
The man who runs Vancouver's marijuana vending machines says Marc Emery's reign as the "Prince of Pot" is over. "'Prince of Pot,' you know what, that's a self-proclaimed title," said Chuck Varabioff, the director of the BC Pain Society. "There's room for other people in the industry who are going to stand up and go about it legally, peacefully, respectfully and try to get it legalized." Varabioff said Emery got what he deserved when he was sent to jail because he flaunted the way he was breaking the law. He also said Emery's comeback after being released from jail hasn't been successful. [continues 175 words]
Jodie Emery, the wife of marijuana activist Marc Emery, officially filed her nomination papers Monday to run for the Liberals in Vancouver East - a move widely thought to put wind in Conservatives' sails as they attack leader Justin Trudeau for pushing marijuana legalization too hard. Ms. Emery said she has never met or spoken with Mr. Trudeau, but members of the Vancouver East Federal Liberal Riding Association encouraged her to seek the nomination. Still, she understands why he would be nervous as the Conservatives try to connect his support for legalization with the slippery slope leading to the corruption of children. [continues 355 words]
Wife of 'Prince of Pot' seeks candidacy in Vancouver East, but one Grit source warns 'it will not be smooth sailing' for her A high-profile advocate for marijuana legalization has filed her papers to run as a Liberal in the next federal election, putting the spotlight on an issue that the Conservatives have used to attack Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. Jodie Emery filed her nomination papers Monday in Vancouver East, a riding the NDP has held since 1997. Ms. Emery is a prominent marijuana legalization advocate, along with her husband, Marc Emery, known as the "Prince of Pot," who returned to Canada last month after serving an American jail sentence for selling marijuana seeds. [continues 555 words]
I fear that yet too many people out there assume that because something is "legal" it is good, safe and in the best interests of the public. Legality is not nor ever has been necessarily equal to good. Canadians are being bombarded with the current myth of the merits of medical marijuana when in fact the benefits and safety of this drug are far from having been conclusively proved. Nor has it been proved to be a safe recreational drug. Canada and more than a dozen U.S. states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes but under federal law marijuana remains illegal. So is marijuana really medicine? Just because a few chemicals in marijuana have been developed into medications does not conclusively prove the drug is safe. [continues 261 words]
You have to give Marc Emery credit: After more than four years in a U.S. prison, he can still draw a crowd. Better yet (from his point of view), he can still wrangle the news media. The "Prince of Pot," as journalists and his disciples have dubbed him, has certainly earned that nickname. A native of London, Ont., he has spent most of his adult life championing the cause of cannabis policy reform. He lit joints on the steps of police stations and city halls across the country. He sold marijuana seeds, home-grow books, bongs and other paraphernalia from storefronts in at least two provinces, encouraging others across Canada to do the same. He launched a cannabis-themed magazine. He founded a legal assistance centre for those seeking to challenge existing drug laws. He started Pot-TV, a video channel devoted to marijuana culture and politics. [continues 662 words]
Re: Legalizing dope would cost everybody, opinion column by Chris Vander Doelen, Aug. 13. I was appalled at Windsor Star columnist Chris Vander Doelen's column begging that we re-enter the era of reefer and other criminal code madness. It seems he is even out of touch with your readers. Over 80 per cent of Windsor Star online poll respondents said yes to the question "should marijuana be legalized?" Are all these readers Marc Emery followers who are happy to be seen in public toking large cartoonish joints, wearing pot leaf clothing and jewelry and who consider marijuana a big issue in their lives? I don't think so. [continues 167 words]
You have to give Marc Emery credit: After more than four years in a U.S. prison, he can still draw a crowd. Better yet (from his point of view), he can still wrangle the news media. The "Prince of Pot," as journalists and his disciples have dubbed him, has certainly earned that nickname. A native of London, Ont., he has spent most of his adult life championing the cause of cannabis policy reform. He lit joints on the steps of police stations and city halls across the country. He sold marijuana seeds, home-grow books, bongs and other paraphernalia from storefronts in at least two provinces, encouraging others across Canada to do the same. He launched a cannabis-themed magazine. He founded a legal assistance centre for those seeking to challenge existing drug laws. He started Pot-TV, a video channel devoted to marijuana culture and politics. [continues 533 words]
Marc Emery may think of himself as a marijuana messiah, leading the longsuffering to deliverance from pot laws they believe unfairly punish them and restrict their freedom to smoke up. No stranger to ego, Emery may even believe he's the chosen cannabis crusader. But Canada's self-styled "Prince of Pot"- just released from a U.S. prison, after doing 4 1/2 years for selling marijuana seeds into the U.S. from Vancouver-makes a poor martyr for the kind of electoral backlash he imagines he will now inspire against the federal Conservative government he vilifies. [continues 289 words]
You have to give Marc Emery credit: After more than four years in a U.S. prison, he can still draw a crowd. Better yet (from his point of view), he can still wrangle the news media. The "Prince of Pot," as journalists and his disciples have dubbed him, has certainly earned that nickname. A native Londoner, he has spent most of his adult life championing the cause of cannabis policy reform. He lit joints on the steps of police stations and city halls across the country. He sold marijuana seed, home-grow books, bongs and other paraphernalia from storefronts in at least two provinces, encouraging others across Canada to do the same. He launched a cannabis-themed magazine. He founded a legal assistance centre for those seeking to challenge existing drug laws. He started Pot-TV, a video channel devoted to marijuana culture and politics. [continues 662 words]
On the marijuana file, the Conservatives should be careful of blowback. It's all fun and games to try to paint Liberal leader Justin Trudeau as Marc Emery's best friend but there is risk for the Conservatives in overreacting (why isn't Harper focusing on the economy?) and in alienating the more libertarian arm of his own party (who cares if the neighbour smokes a little weed to help him sleep at night as long as it's not in front of my kids?). [continues 661 words]
Marc Emery a powerful force for liberty in Canada It's not often that I disagree with Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente, but her recent column on Marc Emery (Pot still fails the sniff test) triggered one of those rare occasions. Unlike the "Prince of Pot", I don't use marijuana. I never have, and probably never will, even if it were to become legal for recreational use. But then, I don't use alcohol either. Slowing down my brain just isn't my cup of tea. [continues 679 words]
A reasoned political debate about marijuana is almost as impossible as debating abortion laws or climate change. Still, some voices have more influence, and right now one of them is Justin Trudeau's. The Liberal leader wants marijuana legalized. This comes after his opinion "evolved" from the more moderate stand of decriminalization. This has flummoxed the federal Conservatives because Trudeau's position leans toward where more Canadians are and against the natural tendencies of a tough-on-crime government. Unless you're using it for medicinal reasons, marijuana is bad for you. Lethargy, short-term memory loss and the damaging effect on lungs if you smoke too much are among the more commonly agreed-upon effects. [continues 510 words]
