VANCOUVER — Canada’s “Prince of Pot” is returning home after serving a five-year sentence in an American prison. Marc Emery, 56, was extradited in May of 2010, after pleading guilty to selling marijuana seeds from Canada to American customers. Authorities called his initial arrest – made almost a decade ago – a “significant blow” to the legalization movement.
But since that time, the marijuana landscape has changed dramatically. In the United States, two U.S. states are now issuing recreational pot licences and 23 states have authorized marijuana as a medicinal treatment.
“All his work has come to fruition,” Jodie Emery, Marc’s wife, told Global News in a Skype interview.
She says the couple expects to be reunited on August 12, when Marc is set to be transferred by plane to Detroit from a Louisiana institution, where U.S. Marshalls will escort him to the Canadian border to cross into Windsor. From there, the Emerys will fly to Toronto on Wednesday morning and meet with media and their supporters before visiting relatives in Ontario. They expect to be back in Vancouver on August 17.
“Marc was probably the most well-known marijuana activist in the world even before he was extradited,” said Jodie. She says they have already been invited to Spain, Ireland and other countries to speak about reforming laws and also have a BC tour planned.
—With files from The Canadian Press.
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