Cannabis Seeds for Sale at Courthouse as Vancouver 3 Agree to Plea

Marc Emery and his now-former co-defendants held a press conference this morning (Tuesday January 22nd) to discuss the plea bargain which results in no extradition to the USA. Emery, Greg Williams and Michelle Rainey made their remarks outside the BC Supreme Court house Downtown Vancouver to an assembled mass of journalists, supporters, activist and surprised passing barristers.

Vancouver Seed Bank Manager (and former editor of Cannabis Culture) Dana Larsen and colleagues were on hand to sell hi-grade marijuana seeds in $20 vials as a sign that selling seeds is a legally tolerated activity in Canada unlike the USA.

Marc Emery plead to a bargain of 5 years to be served in a Canadian prison instead of extradition to the USA to face a long, (likely fruitless) trial in Seattle and a sentence of up to life.

In my opinion ... the truly remarkable thing about the drown out campaign is how the extradition issue really crystallized conservative Canadians who don't care about marijuana legalization per se but grabbed a hold of the flagrant breach of sovereignty which occurred when the DEA-led campaign arrested Marc, followed by the extradition attempts. Trying to take a Canadian to be tried in the US on US charges!?!?! Asinine indeed and most of Canada agreed.

From NO Extradition

If Canadians have broken the law in Canada, they should be given a fair jury trial in Canada. If they wouldn't face any imprisonment in Canada for the charges laid, they should not be extradited to another country to face life imprisonment.

In Canada, a $200 fine -- not jail time -- is the BC Supreme Court appeals precedent for selling cannabis seeds (R. v. Hunter, 2000), and 58% of Canadians oppose extradition in this case (Strategic Counsel/Angus Reid polls).

It's clear Marc's 2 colleagues (Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams) were arrested as ransom to force a plea at minimum but fortunately their struggle will alleviate and charges will be dropped as part of the plea. The plea seems to come at a time when the personal vendettas have slowed due to political and economic shifts.

The Seattle-based former US district Attorney John McKay was fired in the recent Alberto Gonzalez roundup and he was the one waving the banner for Marc's demise. McKay was also the one famously grandstanding over the discovery of a tunnel from Langley to Lynden (as though that's the first one - heh).

Also, the DEA's Karen Tandy, who had a personal issues with Marc after his crew heckled Drug "Czar" Walters' nonsensical claims at a conference in Vancouver (complete with photo op), has moved on for a big paycheque at Motorola.

In case you missed it, Marc's speech before Joey Shithead's Band of Rebels of gig on Tokes on the Porch Returns to Herby’s Garden - Choogle on #56

(Cross posted at Cannabis Seeds for Sale at Courthouse as Vancouver 3 Agree to Plea and They Gave him 5 Years for $Billions of Economic Growth and Urban Vancouver)