cannabisculture.com
Prince of Pot Pinched Again

Marc Emery was arrested Monday night for sharing a joint, shortly after giving a speech to students at the University of Saskatchewan.

According to eyewitnesses, Emery showed up at a gathering of college students who were hanging out at the Vimy Memorial near Emery's hotel about two hours after the speech.

Emery and about 40 students smoked some "very potent weed," according to eyewitness Justin McGowan.

"About 20 minutes after Marc showed up, three or four cops arrived and said 'We smell marijuana.' They asked if anybody had marijuana and Marc said he had some. They arrested him.

Marc is no stranger to jail cells of course, having been arrested several times on his "Summer of Legalization Tour" last year. This is a little different in that he was charged with possession for holding the joint and trafficking for passing to another person. The possession charges were subsequently dropped but the trafficking stands. One wonders how you could be guilty of one without the other, however the real point is how can they justify a trafficking charge for merely passing a joint.

According to a press release issued yesterday, this is a major flaw in the pending Canadian decrim bill.

Canadians should be reminded that even if Bill C-10, the so-called marijuana decriminalization bill, is passed, police would still retain the criminal power to arrest people and brand them drug dealers -- for simply sharing a joint. "Currently, even simply giving marijuana for no money ("passing a joint") is considered trafficking. Bill [C-10] should be amended so that non-commercial transfers of up to 30 grams of marijuana not be considered trafficking," according to a New Democratic Party statement.

The political motivation behind the arrest seems all too apparent and stands as a testament to Emery's effectiveness as an advocate for legalization.

"According to bystanders, a group of people were peacefully assembled for an hour before Marc Emery showed up," said Tim Meehan, of Toronto-based Ontario Consumers for Safe Access to Recreational Cannabis. "Many questions remain about the circumstances of Emery's arrest. Among them, was he targeted because of the political nature of his speaking tour? Emery has not faced any legal troubles at other speaking stops during his current tour." Emery was the primary target of police action when they arrived on the scene. Along with Emery, local supporter Justin McGowan was also searched, detained, and charged with cannabis possession.

Emery's team is urging his supporters to "inundate Saskatoon police, the Department of Corrections, and media outlets with pro-Emery letters and phone calls that put pressure on the police and convince media to report on Emery's plight." A list of contacts is available here, [scroll to the bottom].

Marc is to appear in court this morning on a show cause hearing. The remainder of his speaking engagements are still on, however noted medical marijuana crusader Grant Krieger will speak in Marc's place on the next date.