Dear NORML members and supporters,
Canadian businessman and law reform activist Marc Emery is a political prisoner of America’s federal government. Arrested in 2005 for selling high quality cannabis seeds to willing American cannabis consumers and medical patients, he now sits in a federal prison in Washington state costing taxpayer’s thousands of dollars per month, while at the same depriving Canada of an otherwise lawful and tax-generating businessman, and Marc’s family and friends of his presence in their lives.
Below is a request from Marc’s lawyer and cannabis law reformer Kirk Tousaw to help raise $8,500 to retain an expert in treaty transfers between Canada and the United States so that Marc can serve the reminder of the time he must be in the criminal justice system back in Canada.
Please join NORML in supporting this effort to help expedite the day Marc can return to Canada, his wife, businesses, (primarily Cannabis Culture Magazine) and to his full-throated advocacy for cannabis legalization in Canada.
An American prison is no place for Marc.
I think most every cannabis law reform activist in the US feels guilty that our government decided—if only for pathetically symbolic reasons, like the persecution by the feds of Tommy Chong for selling bongs a few years earlier—to arrest, persecute, extradite and incarcerate Marc for what is effectively legal these days in medical cannabis states like California, New Mexico, Colorado, Rhode Island, Montana and Maine.
Please read the info below from Kirk on how we can all help Marc out.
Thanks in advance and kind regards!
I write on behalf of Marc Emery, recently sentenced to five years in prison for selling cannabis seeds as part of his effort to “overgrow the government” and provide funding to the marijuana legalization movement. Marc made millions in this highly successful campaign and gave every dime away to activist causes and groups. When arrested in 2005, he had only $11.00 in his bank account. And now he needs our help more than ever.
As part of our effort to have Marc repatriated to Canada, he hopes to hire US lawyer Sylvia Royce, an expert in treaty transfers between the United States and Canada. Ms. Royce will handle the US side of the process while I will continue to assist Marc with the Canadian undertaking.
In order to retain Ms. Royce, Marc needs to raise $8,500.00, and he needs to do it by the end of October. We are hoping to do it in one day with a Free Marc Emery Money Bomb on October 16, 2010. A money bomb is a one-day fundraising effort designed to achieve a specific goal. In this case, it is raising enough money to hire Ms. Royce. Any extra funds will go toward future legal fees.
I know that you value Marc’s activism, dedication to our shared cause and sacrifice. Five years is a long time to be a political prisoner. Our profound hope is that he can at least serve that time in Canada, near his family, friends and loving wife, Jodie Emery.
I’m asking you to be a part of this Money Bomb in the following ways. First, consider making a donation from your organization. Second, publicize the Money Bomb to your membership through posting on your website and distribution through your email network
With your help, I know that we can achieve our goal of raising $8,500.00 on October 16, 2010. If you are willing to donate, your commitment to do so will be recorded and announced on the day of the Money Bomb. Additional details can be found below my signature.
Thank you.
Kirk Tousaw
Executive Director
Beyond Prohibition Foundation
142-757 West Hastings, Suite 211
Vancouver, British Columbia V6C1A1
(c) 604.836.1420
(f) 1.866.310.3342
(e) kirktousaw@gmail.com
www.whyprohibition.ca* * * * *
What: Free Marc Emery Money BombWhen: October 16, 2010
Goal: Raise $8500.00 to retain a US expert on prisoner treaty transfers
Why: Marc Emery raised and donated millions of dollars to help legalize marijuana and is now going to spend five years in prison for his efforts. Whenever he was asked to help a good cause, he did. Now he needs your help in his effort to be repatriated to Canada to serve his sentence in his home country.
How: Donate funds on October 18 (or before) by check, credit card, email money transfer or cash donations. Donation details can be found at www.freemarc.ca and below:
1) Make donations with your credit card through the Cannabis Culture Online Store in the “Free Marc” section at www.CannabisCulture.com/store
2) Send a PayPal donation to Marc’s wife, Jodie, at Jodie_Giesz@hotmail.com and it will be transferred to the US account for the lawyer’s fees
3) Call 604-669-9069 on Saturday with your credit card information, or email it to: Accounts@cannabisculture.com
4) Mail a check or money order made out to “0883467 BC Ltd.” to The Free Marc Campaign, 307 West Hastings Street, Vancouver BC, V6B 1H6, Canada5) Drop off in-person donations at “Marc Emery’s Cannabis Culture Headquarters” at 307 West Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver
Happy to support! Here’s to a successful outcome all ’round, here’s to full legalization and the bountiful joy it will produce!
Cheers!
I am a resident, MMJ patient, and help support activism for marijuana in WA state, and I for one am ashamed now to be able to say I even live here. I realize it’s a fedeal Gov;t thing, and not state, but I’m just a little shocked that WA would even want him here.
I JUST was speaking to a law-enforcment officer in my Local county about Marc and what his view was on him imprisonment here, and he seemed just as upest about it as I was. Here, Mr. Emery is a good-hearted, kind, upstanding citizen of Canada, but just because the business has any relation to Marijuana, he gets prosecuted for something that’s an otherwise legal thing dfor him, in a completely different country! The officer had no prior knowledge of him incarceration here, but he himself was really bothered by it, as are all of us. What they really need to do is charge the people that ordered the seeds and release Marc. The one’s who made the order knew that the aquisition of live cannabis seeds in ISA are illegal, regardless to whatr authorizations or Medical Caards you have… I know it sounds bad to say anybody should be prosecuted for marijuana use, but if anyone should go down for this “crime” it should be them…
Of course he shouldn’t be in jail, but there are so many more important things for people to be donating their money to right now… Like, um, keeping thousands of innocent people out of prison in California for having a single joint. Or keeping suffering patients out of jail for using their medicine in other states.
The Emery case as well as the prosecution of Tommy Chong shows our American government has too much time and money on it’s hands. Time for some serious defunding so those who are taking our tax dollars and wasting them get the message that they had better reorder their priorities. Vote in 2010. Vote in 2012. Vote in EVERY election.
I am curious, how much has the incarceration of Mr. Emery cost tax payers and how much more can they expect to pay?
I am appalled that our DEA hunted Marc and persecuted him at every opportunity. Also disappointed those who procured seeds from Marc have not stepped up to help fund his ordeal. He is a drug war POW who deserves our support. The fact that the DEA extradited hhim from his homeland, where his activities were not illegal, makes us look like self righteous bullies to the rest of the planet
The dimwits in politics cut education, but increase spending on a pointless war against American (and in at least one case, Canadian) citizens. No wonder the economy is in the mess it is in. Politicians have a big ego-trip. All they care about is having power over others. They could care less about the well-being of the country.
Maybe a Prop 19 money bomb would be more appropriate right now. How about a November 16th money bomb for Emery?
This money bomb has been more than successful! I am so glad! Yay! They only need $8,500.00, but ended up raising around $21,000.00 the last time I checked!
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/10/14/Free-Marc-Moneybomb-Legal-Fundraiser-Donation-Tracker
as long as marc is in prison, how safe are YOU really?
we need to lock up a few of the jailers & their enablers, and send a message.
prop 19 git r done
Great example to why there is over crowding and why we are in debt. Then they cut education, to further the ignorance of society, NO NEW TAXES!!! Free the DRUGS! and give a hug, because all them thugs just need some love.
This man is a victim of modern day slavery. The revenue generating tactics of law enforcement should be a wake up call for everyone. This could be you or I, and this injustice will continue as long as we the people except this behavior. We need to tell big PHARMA we want to take back control over our own healthcare and vote the crooked politicians out of office.
I agree with you paul- While our nation’s citizens spent millions of dollars on Rx drugs, the Pharm company’s are spending their money on taking doctors out to eat, free gifts for Dr. office staff such as expensive wall clocks, pens, desk orniments and the list goes on and on, all to purg physicians to push their drugs… It’s completely repulsive, and not to mention, immoral.
I’ve had PPO’s, HMO’s, and other various forms of insurance, as well as worked as a billing/coding manager for a Dr’s office, and throughout my years of training, and personal experience, I’ve learned about 99% OF diagnosis’and treatments are either incorrect the 1st time, or just plain misdiagnosed entirely, just to have that specific drug of the week fly out the door!
Now, Marijuana as an Rx drug, its the here and now, it’s the future… It’s our children’s children’s future… And not just for medical reasons (and even to boldly state”its the future”), but for the entire industry of marijuana, from the seeds to be used for foods, fibre’s, as well as preservation of genetics, to as far as the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of jobs it would create. The only down side to full legalization, is it would lower the alue of it drastically, and eventually lead to it being over-ran by BIG TOBACCO, and thats the LAST THING anyone wants! It’s funny, everyone thinks it would be this grand thing to be able to just smoke when you want where you want, etc. and everything would be this perfect world then, but fact of the matter remains, legal or not, there’s still going to be annimosity, hostility, and possibly violent situations because of it. It might fix ALOT of things and God, yes, that would be SOOOOOOO SWEEEEEEET to be able to get any type of any dank known to man, at any time you want, but I just dont wanna see it SELL OUT either…
Marijuana is good medicine, but a penalty thanks.
We just can’t over-look the Long Arm of the Law Statute, anymore than we can over-look the Long Finger of a Proctologist Statute.