Politics
Prince of Pot Released from Prison
A lot has changed since the proclaimed “Prince of Pot” was convicted back in 2009. Washington and Colorado have legalized recreational marijuana and more states have been added to the list of places where medicinal marijuana is legal with New York becoming the 23rd state in the country. Back in Marc Emery’s hometown of Vancouver, recreational marijuana is not legal although there are now a number of dispensaries operating that are available for patients that have a federal certificate. Now, that his sentence is over, he’ll be able to witness all of these new changes outside of the walls of a correctional facility.
Canadian-born Emery was sentenced to five years in prison after he was charged for selling cannabis seeds to American consumers by mail. His business, Marc Emery Direct Marijuana Seeds, had a successful run for a decade — from 1995 until 2005 — before it was shut down during a raid by the Vancouver Police department at the request of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
He was taken into custody in 2009 before being extradited to Seattle, Wash. in 2010 where was sentenced to serve his five-year sentence in a federal prison in Yazoo City, Miss.
Although he was released from prison earlier this month, it could be weeks before he is back in Vancouver. Before heading home he will first be sent to an immigration facility in Louisiana where he must wait for a temporary passport to be issued.
His wife, Jodie Emery, told a local radio station that the earliest she expects her husband home August 10. Once home, he plans on ramping up his political efforts to end marijuana prohibition along with his wife. They will embark on a 30-city pot advocacy tour across Canada beginning in September in an effort to influence the results of October’s federal election.
“I am the easily the most recognized marijuana legalization activist in the world,” Marc told the Ottawa Citizen. “I have to make good use of my reputation in the cannabis culture, and no job is more important than defeating prohibitionist regimes, and electing governments committed to the liberty of our people.”
He also plans to get back into one of his old hobbies prison permitted him from doing.
“I will be consuming cannabis at the same enthusiastic rate in Canada, and in the same exhibitionistic way, as I did in my peak years,” he said.
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