Emery Fails

[Lloyd Danforth]

Marc Emery took a plea.  Most people have never hear of this guy, and now, they never will. He should have gone for a well publicised trial.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PRINCE_OF_POT?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[Lance]

He should have gone for a well publicised trial.

If I'm not mistaken the US Attorney involved threatened to indict his wife (and others?) if he didn't plead guilty.

Tough spot to be in.

[Lloyd Danforth]

They were aware of the risks and are enjoying the profits.  They have lived well, only because Pot and seeds are illegal in the US. They should be encouraging him to step up.

[Jim Johnson]

He should have gone for a well publicised trial.

If I'm not mistaken the US Attorney involved threatened to indict his wife (and others?) if he didn't plead guilty.

Tough spot to be in.

The US Attorney threatened Emery's wife?

Why aren't the cops arresting the US Attorney?

[Lance]

They were aware of the risks and are enjoying the profits.  They have lived well, only because Pot and seeds are illegal in the US. They should be encouraging him to step up.

Agreed. 

He should have gone for a well publicised trial.

If I'm not mistaken the US Attorney involved threatened to indict his wife (and others?) if he didn't plead guilty.

Tough spot to be in.

The US Attorney threatened Emery's wife?

Why aren't the cops arresting the US Attorney?

As you well know, even if there was wrongful conduct on the part of the people in the US govt, there would likely be no arrest.

But I don't think this particular threat would be illegal under USA law. 

I'm searching for some confirmation of that threat, but I'm only finding comments to articles so far...

[Lance]

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Prince+Marc+Emery+pleads+guilty+courtroom/3066048/story.html

Vancouver's Prince of Pot Marc Emery pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle Monday to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.

As part of a plea bargain, Emery, 52, must serve five years in prison for selling marijuana seeds to U.S. customers through his business, Marc Emery Direct.

He will remain in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac until sentencing on Aug. 27.

Emery's wife, Jodie, said the deal is the best of his limited options.

"It's unfortunate that a five-year sentence is what we want for Marc, but the alternative was at least 30 years and up to life if it went to trial," she told The Vancouver Sun Monday. "But while he's gone, he'll be there to demonstrate the insanity of this war on drugs."

U.S. lawyer Jenny Durkan said Emery is reaping what he sowed.

"Today, Marc Emery acknowledged he broke the law," Durkan said in a news release issued Monday. "Seeds from Marc Emery's business were found at grow sites across the U.S. Mr. Emery made millions of dollars promoting and facilitating marijuana grows in the U.S. with no regard for the age or criminal activities of his customers. The rule of law requires accountability. A five-year prison term will hold Emery accountable for his choice to ignore the law."

Emery claimed to have made about $3 million a year selling seeds, with much of it going to activist groups and political parties.

About 75 per cent of the four million seeds sold over the years went to American residents.

On multiple occasions in 2004 and 2005, Emery sold seeds to an undercover U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent at the shop and elsewhere, the department of justice claimed.

Jodie Emery, and many of Emery's supporters, have called his extradition an "outsourcing of justice."

"As a Canadian who has never left Canada ... he should have been charged and punished here in Canada, where most of his activities took place, where it's against the law and where we're fully capable of going after him," she said.

Co-defendants Michelle Rainey and Gregory Keith Williams pleaded guilty last year and were sentenced to two years of probation.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Prince+Marc+Emery+pleads+guilty+courtroom/3066048/story.html#ixzz0ouClcx3b

[Lloyd Danforth]

I was thinking about the threat thing.
Lets say you're a citizen who believes the drug war is just and efficient. Your standpoint should be that the authorities are failing you by not taking the wife and others, making them pay for their crimes,  and getting them off the street where they are an alleged danger. The authorities are letting them get away with their crimes just to avoid Marc's trial.

Obviously, Pot should be re- legalized, everybody should go home, and the Emery's can try to eke out a living competing with Monsanto developing seeds, or Daytrade with their fortune.

[Tom Sawyer]

As to "profiting" from the illicit market... I believe he capped his salary at 60K per year and folded the rest into the legalization effort.

The US could have gone for the death penalty... that's right 60,000 plants can be the death penalty.

Lloyd, you should do a little research into what Marc accomplished with his CD.

Marc Emery wikipedia article

"The Prince of Pot" Marc Emery on 60 minutes

Marc Emery accomplished more than all the efforts of all the US anti-prohibition organizations combined... NORML, LP etc...

[Lloyd Danforth]

I'm not claiming he hasn't been an activist.  But
If there has been any actual, increase in Pot Freedom in the last 40 years, somehow, it got by me.

[Becky Thatcher]

They were aware of the risks and are enjoying the profits.  They have lived well, only because Pot and seeds are illegal in the US. They should be encouraging him to step up.

Obviously, Pot should be re- legalized, everybody should go home, and the Emery's can try to eke out a living competing with Monsanto developing seeds, or Daytrade with their fortune.

Geez, what do you have against Marc Emery?  Surely you don't have a problem with him making a living supplying a demand?  Or is it just a problem with the fact that he was successful?  I don't recall any stories of him forcing people to buy his product, so why the sour grapes about him making millions?

I also have to say that if they had me by the short hairs  and were threatening people I cared about, it would make it very hard to stand up to the bullies.  Having never been in this situation, I don't know for sure what I would do, but I don't think picking at others for their choices is very helpful.

[Becky Thatcher]

I'm not claiming he hasn't been an activist.  But
If there has been any actual, increase in Pot Freedom in the last 40 years, somehow, it got by me.

Actually, Lloyd, there has been quite an increase in pot freedom in Canada where Marc Emery lives.  When he started, it was illegal to sell High Times in Canada...now British Columbia rivals Amsterdam in liberal pot laws. 

[Roycerson]

Geez, what do you have against Marc Emery?

this

Obviously, Pot should be re- legalized, everybody should go home, and the Emery's can try to eke out a living competing with Monsanto developing seeds, or Daytrade with their fortune.

He's not really the eking out a living type.  He's more the make money and succeed at everything he does type.  He's called himself a sort of buddhist objectivist.  He believes in making tons of money and giving it away to make the world a better place.  Everyone pretty much loves the shit out of him.

[Lloyd Danforth]

They were aware of the risks and are enjoying the profits.  They have lived well, only because Pot and seeds are illegal in the US. They should be encouraging him to step up.

Obviously, Pot should be re- legalized, everybody should go home, and the Emery's can try to eke out a living competing with Monsanto developing seeds, or Daytrade with their fortune.

Geez, what do you have against Marc Emery?  Surely you don't have a problem with him making a living supplying a demand?  Or is it just a problem with the fact that he was successful?  I don't recall any stories of him forcing people to buy his product, so why the sour grapes about him making millions?

I also have to say that if they had me by the short hairs  and were threatening people I cared about, it would make it very hard to stand up to the bullies.  Having never been in this situation, I don't know for sure what I would do, but I don't think picking at others for their choices is very helpful.

My picking on him isn't going to make any difference to his situation. What he did only resulted in millions because he capitalized on it's being illegal.  He made a 100 times more than what he did was worth for taking  the risk. There are people sentenced every day to more time than he is getting who haven't made .001% of what he has made.
If I were caught dealing (probably first time I tried) I would be bummed, but not surprised. I wouldn't expect anyone to feel sorry for me, particularly if I'd had a good run..

[Lloyd Danforth]

The problem here as I see it is Canada giving him to the US for doing something I understand is not illegal in Canada.
Canadian and US citizens should know about this, but now it is going to fall out of the little news coverage it has received. That is all I meant about his taking a plea.  People 'outside of the choir' will either never find out, or forget.

[Becky Thatcher]

My picking on him isn't going to make any difference to his situation. What he did only resulted in millions because he capitalized on it's being illegal.  He made a 100 times more than what he did was worth for taking  the risk. There are people sentenced every day to more time than he is getting who haven't made .001% of what he has made.
If I were caught dealing (probably first time I tried) I would be bummed, but not surprised. I wouldn't expect anyone to feel sorry for me, particularly if I'd had a good run..
[/quote]

I don't quite understand this answer.  Are you saying that the more you make the more you deserve whatever the jack booted thugs want to dish out?  And you should just STFU and hope they don't f**k you harder?  Cause I sure as hell didn't vote for that!!!

And as far as him making "100 times more than what he did was worth" I believe thousands of others would disagree with you there.  They obviously felt it was indeed worth it.