'Prince of pot' sentenced to five years

[Newsjock]

Source: The Globe and Mail

The long arm of American justice has reached out for Canada’s so-called Prince of Pot, and tossed him into the clink for five years at a US federal prison.

"Marc Emery decided that US laws did not apply to him, but he was wrong," US attorney Jenny A. Durkan said of the sentencing. "Emery put his personal profits above the law."

A chastened Mr. Emery, who was convicted of selling large amounts of marijuana seeds to customers south of the border, admitted to arrogance in flouting American law and promised never to advocate civil disobedience again in the United States or Canada.

... Authorities said Mr. Emery is likely to spend his time at a low security federal prison in Lompoc, California, south of San Francisco.

Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prince-of-pot-sentenced-to-five-years/article1703132/

[notesdev]

1. Who benefits from this?

Another reason this country is freaking broke... too much stupid stuff like this going on.

All told we probably will have spent a million dollars or more by the time he gets out.

"Marc Emery decided that US laws did not apply to him, but he was wrong,"...

Why the hell should US laws apply in Canada?

[Kweli4Real]

3. Why Illegal Marijuana Trafickers, of course ...

Can't have people growing their own, can we?

[awoke_in_2003]

10. He was selling to people...

in the US. I agree that this is stupid shit, we need to legalize it already, but if you are selling products here then US laws apply.

[HuckleB]

11. Yup.

[ZombieHorde]

20. Too bad he was not caught for torture, then we could all just look forward. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

24. Don't get me wrong...

I am all for legalizing. I was just responding as to why American authorities got involved, I wasn't condoning it. In case you doubt, my wife suffers from neuropathy and rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes she can barely function because of the pain. The pain killers (and she has tried just about every one) make her sick or knock her out 20 hours a day. If pot were legal, I would be getting some for her. Hell, I still might, once her SSDI is approved (they probably test for pot, the bastards). It definitely cannot hurt the situation.

[joshcryer]

21. Seeds.

Yeah. Seeds. There's a reason Mexican mary jane has become more popular. He's been shut down for half a decade and no one else has been anywhere near a big of a supplier.

[awoke_in_2003]

25. I agree that it is ridiculous...

I was just telling someone WHY US authorities got involved.

[AlbertCat]

2. Thank god that dangerous man is locked up!

Oh wait.... it wasn't Cheney, or Rummy, or Condolezza or.... or.... or....


Never mind....

[Mnemosyne]

4. Fuckers. n/t

[madrchsod]

5. shit...just when i was going to start....

[Bennyboy]

6. Pig payday for attorneys...

All it is and all it it ever is.

The people paid attorneys how much money here?

And emory's attorney got paid how much?

And now the appeals etc will make more attorneys, more money.

This mean nothing to anyone, other than the attorneys, the judges, the balliffs, the probation department, the police, the corrections officers, the court reporters and anyone and everyone that works in the criminal justice department.

Until we deal with crap like this, Roger Clemens, barry Bonds, lance Armstrong etal, and start dealing with actual crime, the better off we will be.

[truedelphi]

19. Prison industry makes out like bandits also.

And then there is the overall corrupting influence of the seized asset monies and how it is distributed.

[glitch]

7. What a brave and talented kudo for this US attorney! A true patriot.

:sarcasm:

[golddigger]

8. And after the verdict "US attorney Jenny A. Dukin"

celebrates victory at her favorite waterhole with five martinis.

[RainDog]

9. And the prosecutor who convicted him just came out in favor of LEGALIZATION

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9087560&mesg_id=9087560

[HuckleB]

12. Sounds like a lot of prosecutors in the era of alcohol prohibition.

Hopefully more of them will follow suit in regard to marijuana.

[alp227]

13. And she's an obama appointee n/t

[RainDog]

14. that was John McKay, a republican - who was part of the Gonzales AG purges

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/06/070806fa_fact_toobin?currentPage=all

not a she. not a democrat. not an Obama appointee.

there's not a lot I have in common with the guy who prosecuted the case - beyond agreeing that current policy is a failure, current scheduling is an obvious lie that undermines all drug policy, current prohibition works just like it did with alcohol to create crime and criminals where none need exist.

I don't know of a lot of people who are shooting each other to corner the distribution market for Pinot Noir... roaming criminals gangs scaring neighborhoods because they want to sell the latest merlot... police busting down doors to make sure no one is drinking a Pale Ale in the backyard... but you do have that exact scenario with cannabis.

This conviction, to me, indicates how worthless our current law really is.

He was selling seeds for a product that is less dangerous than either alcohol or tobacco - but we, as a nation, allow this bullshit to go on year after year.

[alp227]

15. Oops. Jenny Durkan didn't proescute this case? I didn't read the damn article!

McKay=Bush tool. Why couldn't McKay at least apologise or drop the charges? Way to go for wasting even more taxpayer money that could be used to better our education/infrastructure/something really useful for the people.

[RainDog]

16. he was attacked by the Bushies for refusing to harass Democrats

that was why the Gonzales AG office fired him.

you should probably read the New Yorker article too.

McKay decided not to bring charges against the Democratic Party, or people affiliated with it, in Washington State, in the wake of a narrow victory by Christine Gregoire, the Democratic candidate, in the governor’s race. The contest, which was resolved after two recounts, prompted a lawsuit by the state Republican Party alleging widespread voting irregularities.

McKay has, apparently, come to the conclusion that the drug war is a failure and policies need to change. Even Republicans can be right occasionally. Unfortunately, Feinstein and Jerry Brown both oppose Prop 19 in CA. So does Meg Whitman.

If you want to find a way to make this a situation to cheer on democrats and trash Republicans concerning the failed drug war and the lies about drug scheduling - here's something -

Washington DC (not state) voted to allow medical marijuana to be used by patients more than ten years ago. All during that time, Congress has held up implementation of the law by refusing to fund aspects - even tho the majority of voters in DC favored this change in the law.

Recently, under the Obama administration and the Democratic majority, DC is finally working out the ways to implement the law it voted to change more than a decade ago.

[depakid]

17. "...put his personal profits above the law."

Hmmm.

Wonder how many banksters, fraudsters, corrupt public officials mining executives & managers and food poisoners that applies to? Into many thousands, to be sure.

Yet this administration's justice Department gives 'em all a free pass.

or a get out of jail free card.

[joshcryer]

23. Marc Emory was very vocal about being for legalization "even though it'd hurt his bottom line."

There are hundreds of videos where he points it out. "I would not be rich if it wasn't for draconian drug policies."

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

18. Seeds?

:eyes:

[joshcryer]

22. Yep. Seeds. Largest of supplier of seeds in North America up until 2005.

For every pot plant grown in someones house that's a pot plant that doesn't skip the border.

[Vehl]

26. While "princes of Tobacco" rake in the money, nt

[less lee]

27. We are all: PrisonersOf Weed!

When will this anti-weed madness end? Mr.Emery should listen to this song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bE3UOn5jgM

[ProudDad]

28. The is no such thing as "USAmerikan Justice"

And the phony "war on drugs(tm)" must be ended...

[Rex]

29. Meanwhile, corporate suits STILL steal trillions out of the National Treasury vault.

Some congress members were seen holding the door for them...

TO BIG TO FAIL!

Get it?