Marc Emery kisses his wife Jodie goodbye before turning himself in to Canadian authorities. Marc will be extradited to the USA to face charges for selling cannabis seeds on the Internet. (Photo by Bill Keay, PNG)CANNABIS CULTURE – The extradition order to send marijuana activist Marc Emery to the United States for an expected five-year prison term has been signed by the Canadian Minister of Justice, Rob Nicholson.

Cannabis Culture has learned that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada made their decision shortly after Emery turned himself in to Canadian authorities this morning: The Prince of Pot will be handed over to the United States for selling marijuana seeds over the Internet.

READ THE JUSTICE MINISTER’S LETTER CONFIRMING HIS DECISION (PDF)

“I am absolutely devestated that this Conservative government has opted to send my husband, a Canadian citizen, to the United States for a ‘crime’ that amounts to a $200 dollar fine in Canada,” said Marc’s wife Jodie Emery. “This case is about silencing my Husband for his marijuana activism. This Conservative government has declared a culture war in Canada and my husband is it’s latest victim.”

Marc spoke to reporters outside of the downtown Vancouver Law Courts before turning himself in, and said orders to extradite him would be the equivalent of outsourcing our justice system. He said he hopes some good comes from his imprisonment.

“If he sends me away, it will anger millions of Americans and millions of Canadians,” he told the press. “I need them to be angry, otherwise we won’t get any change on this drug war.”

Marc’s lawyer and fellow marijuana activist Kirk Tousaw told Cannabis Culture that in all likelihood, Marc would be sent south across the border by the end of the week where he will eventually appear before a sentencing judge. Marc is expected to be sentenced to five years as part of a plea deal arranged with American prosecutors.

YOU CAN STILL HELP! Please contact Judge Ricardo Martinez in Seattle, Washington and tell him that he should let Marc Emery return home to Canada with a no-prison sentence instead of the 5-year term in the plea deal.

Mail: Honorable Ricardo S. Martinez
U.S. Courthouse
700 Stewart Street, Suite 13134
Seattle, WA
98101-9906
USA

You can also contact Conservative Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews and tell him to allow Marc to sever his time in Canada as part of the Treaty Transfer process.

Office of Public Saftey
Phone: 613-944-4875
E-mail: webmail.psepc-sppcc.gc.ca
Web Contact Form: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/abt/min-eng.aspx
CLICK HERE for more contact info.

You can also call the Minister of Justice’s Rob Nicholson and voice your displeasure in his decision.
(613) 995-1547
(905) 353-9590
(905) 871-9991
(905) 354-0527
NichoR@parl.gc.ca

Honourable Robert Nicholson
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

CLICK HERE for more information of how to HELP MARC EMERY

Opting to wait until Marc was in custody on a bail technicality, Nicholson sent the order to Marc’s lawyers shortly after he entered custody. Marc had expected to be out on bail again today as the Justice Minister was expected to request another extension on the controversial move.

Marc’s case started in 2005 when American Authorities raided his Vancouver store and offices with the help of the Vancouver Police Department. Marc, whose business sold marijuana seeds to “Overgrow the Government” donated all the proceeds of his business to various activism groups working to legalize marijuana and medical marijuana.

“Today’s decision is another step in Canada’s adoption of the failed and harmful drug war approach that, ironically, the American government is moving away from,” said Tousaw. “Canadians are deeply opposed to this extradition and the outsourcing of Canadian criminal justice policy. This unpopular decision is sure to hurt the Conservative government at the ballot box in the next election. Mr. Emery is resolute and told me, from his jail cell, to never give up the fight for cannabis freedom.”

MORE INFO AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE…

News clippings at http://www.mapinc.org/people/Marc+Emery