The British Columbia Supreme Court ordered this Wednesday that U.S. citizen Renee Boje be surrendered for extradition to the U.S. on charges including marijuana possession, production, conspiracy to possess, conspiracy to produce and conspiracy to traffic.
Boje was released on $5,000 bail. Boje’s next step is to take her case to the Canadian Minister of Justice who can issue a full release under sections of the Extradition Act, if the minister is “satisfied that surrender would be unjust or oppressive,” or that “the conduct in respect of which extradition is sought is a political offense or an offense of political character.”
Boje was arrested in July 1997 along with Todd McCormick and Peter McWilliams. Boje was doing sketches of marijuana plants for a book McCormick was writing on growing marijuana. Before she was indicted, Boje fled to British Columbia. If Boje is extradited she could face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
“I am now in the hands of the public and the Canadian Minister of Justice,” Boje said. “If enough people send in letters of support to the minister before March 10, I have faith that the minister will make a compassionate decision.”
For more information, please contact NORML Legal Committee member John Conroy, Q.C., (Renee’s lawyer), at (604) 852-5110 or visit Renee’s website at www.thecompassionclub.org/renee.
