International cannabis activist Marc Emery returned to his home country of Canada Tuesday after spending nearly five weeks in a Louisiana detention center following completion of his U.S. prison sentence.
As we reported in July, Emery received a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to selling cannabis seeds to U.S. customers. After his release, he was held at Tensas Parish Detention Center awaiting deportation to Canada. Yesterday, Emery was taken to Detroit and allowed to cross the border in Windsor, Ontario.
Emery pleaded guilty to selling cannabis seeds from Canada to U.S. customers by mail in Seattle, WA in 2010. While he was serving his sentence, Washington state legalized retail cannabis sales in 2012 with the passage of Initiative 502. Ironically, sales began on July 9 of this year, the same day Emery’s sentence ended with time off for good behavior.
Jodie Emery, Marc’s wife and business partner, hugged her husband after he walked out of custody. Supporters have been wearing “Free Marc Emery” t-shirts since his arrest and they chanted, “Marc is free” in satisfaction as he set foot back on Canadian soil.
Emery wasted no time getting back to his brand of fire-breathing activism holding a press conference for Canadian news outlets and attacking Steven Harper’s Conservative government. Opining on the state of Canada since he was last free, he wondered aloud how the country got so many “cowardly, gutless” politicians who refused to address important issues. He also defended his position on cannabis.
“It’s not about getting high. It’s about correcting a major injustice that’s gone on for half a century.” Marc said of his cannabis legalization advocacy.
In addition to his goal of legalizing cannabis in Canada in the next election cycle, Emery pointed out Canada’s budget deficit as a future issue he plans to help solve. Marc and Jodie are beginning a 30-city tour in September stumping in support of the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau. Though the federal Liberal Party has disavowed them, Trudeau supports cannabis legalization, which is enough for the Emerys. Marc made no secret about how he feels about the opposition.
“I deplore and loathe Steven Harper,” Marc said calling Canada’s Prime Minister a “Machiavellian manipulator.”
Emery will be returning home to Vancouver, British Columbia on Sunday and supporters have planned a welcome home rally. He will be meeting supporters and celebrating his freedom in Victory Square at noon PST.
P. Aiden Hunt 