Help Save Canadian Activist and Hero, Marc Emery! By Jodie Emery - Monday, February 9 2009 Tags: * Marc Emery * Articles by Marc Emery * BC3 * Canada * court * DEA * extradition * Greg Williams * Jodie Emery * Marc Emery * Michelle Rainey * USA Help convince the US Federal Judge to give Marc Emery a very short or non-custodial sentence! Canadian Marc Emery has been fighting extradition to the USA and possible life imprisonment since July 2005. In March 2008, the Canadian Government decided to turn down a unique type of plea deal the USA and Marc Emery's lawyer had arranged -- one that required Canadian charges to be laid and the incarceration be in Canada -- so the extradition process resumed (as shown in a chart on this page). On July 17th 2009, Marc's co-accused, Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams, went to Seattle, Washington and were sentenced to 2 years probation in Canada (no prison time, thankfully). Because of this, the extradition hearing for Marc Emery that was scheduled for June 1-5th, 2009 in the BC Supreme Court was adjourned to September 28th pending plea deal negotiations between Marc's lawyer and the US Prosecutor. HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP! Write a letter asking the Washington State judge to let Marc Emery return to Canada without any imprisonment. If enough pieces of mail arrive at the courthouse, the judge will realize that many people are going to be upset if Marc Emery is sentenced to prison time, and he may be persuaded to give a lighter sentence -- perhaps even the same as Marc's two coaccused Greg Williams and Michelle Rainey, who are starting two years of probation in Canada. Send your polite, passionate letters to: Honorable Ricardo S. Martinez U.S. Courthouse 700 Stewart Street Seattle, WA 98101 Here are some facts to help you write your letter: • Marc Emery is a Canadian citizen who never went to the USA as a seed seller. • Marc Emery operated his seed business in Canada at all times, with no American branches or employees. • Marc Emery declared his income from marijuana seed sales on his income tax, and paid over $580,000 to the Federal and Provincial governments from 1999 to 2005. • Marc Emery is the leader of the British Columbia Marijuana Party, a registered political party that has regularly participated in elections. • Marc Emery has never been arrested or convicted of manufacturing or distributing marijuana in Canada, as he only sold seeds. • Marc Emery gave away all of the profits from his seed business to drug law reform lobbyists, political parties, global protests and rallies, court litigation, medical marijuana initiatives, drug rehabilitation clinics, and other legitimate legal activities and organizations. • Marc Emery helped found the United States Marijuana Party, state-level political parties, and international political parties in countries such as Israel and New Zealand. • Marc Emery has been known as a book seller and activist in Canada for 30 years, fighting against censorship laws and other social issues long before he became a drug law reform activist. • Marc Emery has been a media figure for 20 years with regards to marijuana and drug law reform. He is very well-known to Canadian, American and international news media organizations. • Marc Emery operated his business in full transparency and honesty since its inception in 1994, even sending his marijuana seed catalogue inside his magazine "Cannabis Culture" to each Member of Parliament in Canada every two months for years. • The US Drug Enforcement Administration admitted in a press release from Administrator Karen Tandy that his July 29th, 2005 arrest was based on drug legalization efforts -- a copy of the document can be viewed at http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4685.html --