A Sad Day

Wednesday 12 May 2010 - Filed under Dumbassery + War on Drugs

Marc Emery, AKA the Prince of Pot, has lost his last appeal to the Canadian government which would have prevented his extradition to the US to serve a 5 year prison sentence for selling marijuana seeds to Americans over the internet.  His hopes were that the Canadian government would refuse extradition because the sentence in the US is exponentially more harsh for the “crime” of selling marijuana seeds, a difference between 5 years, his sentence in an American prison, and a $200 CAD fine.

I was just a few blocks away from his store in Vancouver, BC the day Emery was arrested (though he was arrested in Halifax).  Immediately protests against his arrest began with hundreds of pot smokers gathering at a public park directly across the street from his shop in Gastown to send their message to both the Canadian and American governments: let Mr. Emery go and end this ridiculous drug war.  As the protest began just shy of 2p, there were but a few gathered, all passing around a joint the size of a small baseball bat.  Within just a few minutes more and more gathered until there were about 400 or so protesters all smoking pot. In the open. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the middle of downtown Vancouver.  With families throwing the frisbee and cooking hot dogs.¹ And no one died. Chaos did not break out. The world did not end.

It was a day that changed me for good.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iCrRSZC_1Q

If you’re interested in higher resolution pictures from the rally, you can view them at Flickr.

_______________________
1. If you have never had Vancouver “street meat” (yes, I do see the double entendre), you REALLY need to go north and check one out. Afterwards, you can go to the New Amsterdam Cafe and enjoy yourself. Without fear of arrest. It really is liberating.

2010-05-12  »  madlibertarianguy