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Photo taken at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2009 during the 420 Protest.
The saying goes, “if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime”. In the case of the self proclaimed King of Pot Marc Emery wants to do the crime but would love to have no time. I think in life you need to pick your battles carefully. Personally going to jail for any amount of time is never desired. Marc knew that his campaign for legalized Marijuana is, at best, an up—hill battle. He also knew that the United States is very clear on their stance in regards to drugs — and particularly that they consider Marijuana to be a “schedule 1″ drug, which is the same category in which they place things like heroin. Marc continually took it to the edge and the powers that be came down hard on him. Now he will spend a number of years in jail. Emery has been asking people for their support in his battle and I guess that is fair game. There are many people in North America that would like to have Pot legalized.
Here is the deal. How far are you willing to go for something that you believe in? You see, the thing that keeps our society civil is something called the rule of law. If you are willing to keep the laws you stay out of jail however if you think the laws are unjust, you protest and you try to change the laws through legal means. If you are so persuaded that the laws are wrong and to make a statement you break those laws, then be prepared to pay the piper.
Marc Emery is the King of Pot and the king’s court will now be held in jail but Emery knew that going in. It’s a lot to pay for a high. Emery desires to have a business which is lawful and will make a ton of money. That is the American way. Right now he is paying a price to hopefully see that come true and he broke the law and according to that same American Way he is paying the price. It looks now like a life is to quote Cheech and Chong, up in smoke.
So what do you think? [fb-share]
60 Comments
“Marc knew that his campaign for legalized Marijuana is, at best, an up—hill battle.” -Doug
The contemporary of you (Doug) back at the turn of the 20th century said that suffrage was at best, an uphill battle.
As for uphill climbs; if you only walk downhill, you'll soon be on the low road.
“You see, the thing that keeps our society civil is something called the rule of law.” – Doug
Is our society civil? War, domestic violence, enviromental destruction, corporate deception, mass exploitation, road rage, racism, agism, global political domination, sexual discrimination, censorship, mindless hedonism, thoughtless consumerism,… When Ghandi was asked what he thought of Western civilization, he said he thought it would be a good idea. I agree.
“If you are willing to keep the laws you stay out of jail.” -Doug
Is that your reason for not burglarizing your neighbor's home? To stay out of jail? If so you and I are different species.
Is it illegal because it's a crime against humanity, or is it a crime because it's illegal -and the law is the crime against humanity?
“If you are so persuaded that the laws are wrong and to make a statement you break those laws, then be prepared to pay the piper.” -Doug
Are you familiar with the Tiananmen Square Protest of 1989? Would you say they “paid the piper”? I would say the piper murdered innocent people.
What about the African Americans who sat at the lunch counters and were jailed for ordering lunch?
Would you say that runaway slaves who were caught and whipped should have been “prepared to pay the piper”? How do you prepare for being shot, jailed, whipped? There is no preparation for inhumanity.
“It’s a lot to pay for a high.” -Doug
This is where you show your complete cultural ignorance of anything beyond 'Me smoke. Me have buzz.'
The persecution of cannabis has much larger implications than any high experienced by using the herb itself. At the heart of it, it is tyranny against a consciousness, and way of being, a way of thinking, a way of seeing. Cannabis is just the icon of a way of being that is the direct opposite of western culture. Western culture says you are in a corrupt world and you must stay on the chosen team and fight against your sinful nature. This creates great existential anxiety and thus all the intolerance, violence, alcoholism, conservativism, etc. The culture of cannabis, which is essentially the culture of the east, says that you are divine being, you and the universe are one and the same. Nature is not corrupt and you are not corrupt, so relax and enjoy your divine expericnce. This is the consciosness that cannabis can help you open to. Western goverments want to continue the western machine so that they have something to govern. They fear the other type of being. It is unknown to them. Cannabis is enemy number one to the corporate consumer western culture. Thus Marc Emery is on a list with Osama Bin Laden, and all he has done is openly sold seeds, and paid taxes to the Canadian goverment which never charged him with it.
“Emery desires to have a business which is lawful and will make a ton of money.” -Doug
Marc Emery desires to live in a land where he and others are not jailed for their way of life.
After paying his living expenses, he used the rest of the money to support the movement.
“That is the American way. Right now he is paying a price to hopefully see that come true and he broke the law and according to that same American Way he is paying the price.” -Doug
The American Way is to leave your home continent, invade a land full of nature-aware, herb-using traditional people. Kill them. Set up your own goverment authority, cultural institutions, corporate industrial complexes, military complexes, and police/prison systems, incarcerate 1 of every 100 of the citizens, intimidate the rest, concede nothing, don't look in the mirror, don't look back, don't look up, and become rich off the labor of those whose collective power is less than that of the machine which you created and willfully continue. -That is the American way, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the way of a man named Marc Emery.
First they ignore you; then they mock you; then they punish you; then you win."
- Mahatma Ghandi
"In any civilized society, it is every citizen's responsibility to obey just laws. But at the same time, it is every citizen's responsibility to disobey unjust laws."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
"Prohibition… goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded."
- Abraham Lincoln, December 1840
"When even one American – who has done nothing wrong – is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril."
- Harry S. Truman
To understand Obama, study Zbigniew Brzyzynski. The publics are subverted to short-circuit the blame industry. The British called it "the passion of posterity" but the Americans go with their myth of exceptionalism. To learn more, it's the Round Table in Britain and in the US, they have a hundred names for it : from the Bonesmen of Yale to the Freemasons. It's a widely promoted myth
Whether the group brags about its meetings or conceals them – the prime nobility's role in an expanding Empire is to "conceal the chaos of force and seizure". They're anitdisestablishment – and they've got tons of money & resource plus lots of spare time on their hands. You need this key to understand what you're up against – it's not conscious intention, but unthinking convention. The system is rigged, but don't fall for the temptation to call it conscious intention.
Follow the money to the avoidable deaths
I can see this conversation is taking a very deep dive………into areas that Doug may not want to travel. Or maybe he does…….what say you Doug? Should we delve into the illusion?
I sensed I was going off topic, but couldn't pull out … with domestic spies and other programs, we need to adjust – like an exchange rate to convert what we're told we have … into the reality that we really have. How many people are "real" ? It reminds me that some churches are full because the minister is good … other churches are full because the church is at the right location.
420 comes from a High Times interview about ordinary (not-for-profit) people meeting in the Commons to smoke pot. For the participants getting high near a statue (at a College in California), 420 means something organic – like the Boston Tea Party was organic. The 420 movement based on a magazine article is akin to the modern Tea Party movement … it's "fresh from the can". That doesn't mean 420 isn't a good thing, but 420 (as a modern tradition) is not proof that the Will of the People is getting through the "pot media". The movement is abstract-random and successful movements are concrete sequential. Maybe people buying Cannabis Culture magazine and watching Pot-TV have got too much time on their hands and really only want to enhance their high more than change the law.
The Church is a movement to Christianize the world and the Cannabis Community is very much like the Christian Community. There are superstitious hero-worshippers … but what's missing from the real Christian movement is the doubters, the cynics and the people who have a problem with the Church's use of its temporal power. The Cannabis Community hasn't shed them yet. Will the big egos leave ? Or take over and drive everyone else away ? We don't know the outcome to that yet.
We know there is a schism between those who want laissez-faire anything goes decriminalization, where the suppliers and distributors already in the market stay there and expand. There is the more pragmatic legalizationists that are willing to go along with government control over supply – sky-high taxes and maybe even one Crown Corporation supplier. So, both are movements. One is old, the other emerging. Over the centuries, those who saw the Church as a country club for saints, silenced and banished those who saw it as a hospital for sinners.
Is the Cannabis movement entirely organic ? When the US Government sets its mind to subverting groups it dislikes, they tend to plant activists. According to Church & Pike's investigation into the CIA's activities in the late 1970s, the CIA was doing more than just spying on anti-Vietnam activists. The CIA was created by Truman in 1947, but its original mission to "wage war against Soviet Communism" ended with the fall of Soviet Communism in 1991. What has been their mission since then ? They've got this large-scale domestic espionage network set-up and they no longer had a single focus. If the CIA were truly worried about terrorism in the 1990s, they certainly weren't too busy teaching their agents to speak Arabic or Farsi before 9/11.. The only other domestic enemy worth pursuing since the fall of the Soviet Union … is the Cannabis movement.
So, I might think Marc is completely out to lunch for supporting an anarchist dressed as a libertarian (Ron Paul) or for thinking less government is a good idea because a small government means weak enough to be pushed around by the corporations that want prohibition. Maybe he needs to do some reading, but sitting in jail has a sanitizing effect because it tells everyone that he's not an 'agent provocateur'.
Marc lost his freedom. The right to mix & mingle with us good people in society, but there is no victim. There was a time when the churches constituted a pretty accurate reflection of the public will. Back in those days, particularly the dirty 30s, churches were sympathetic to unfortunates that had been labeled hobos, vagrants and lots of other titles that denote a criminal, but have no victim. When the atheists left the church and the doubters were pushed out, maybe they took the heart of the congregation with them – as the church-as-Community Center turned into church-as-McDonald's drive thru (McForgiveness).
While I'm enjoying the first real days of summer, I'm curious about what you see on your side of the fence. Marc's hour of need has passed, so all that remains is to make sure lessons are learned. It could determine whether his time in jail is a social – and future historical – punctuation mark.
There may be an operating myth, that news reporters around the world, or the big ones in New York, will build a story around the "Internet Chatter" – based on what soothsayers are preaching to the converted. It's more likely they would build their criticism around that and conclude Marc's followers are crazy hippy stoners (as opposed to the rational hippy stoners). Comparisons to MLK and Rosa Parks should be made by the beholder – imposing it as dogma, or presenting it as settled fact undermines both Marc and the movement. I'm with you on not deifying Marc … but eventually, the movement will find the tipping point and it would be a good idea to have an exchange of ideas between 21st century hippies and Ministers of BC Churches.
Always interesting comments from you. Will it is weird that many of the large churches in North America were founded by hippies from the Jesus people movement in the 60's and 70's. Churches like some of the people in the Cannabis culture tend to form there own secure groups and to the most part put up walls instead of build bridges to the outside world. (Would you Agree?) It is like we want to change the world but we don't know what that would look like if we did so we settle for creating a community that thrives on persecution and fear. Some church leaders are breaking out of this mold and are actually engaging society and they are showing some ability to listen instead of speak. I think there is hope.
I think the press will treat Marc's story as old news. He is in jail now and there will be a small rumbling of voices but for the most part the only ones who really care are the supporters of the Cannabis movement. News moves on and there are new stories and new personalities to cover. Perhaps a new Prince of Pot will be discovered and the story will take on new life….but my sense from the media people I know is Marc is in jail, his supporters will still blog and perhaps do some small demonstrations and try to carry on but for the most part it is old news. The question is who will now pick up the slack and who will wear the crown…..that might make news. In my opinion, what do you think?
I think the world will be a different place in 2015 and the media might recognize the difference between notoriety and interest. The movement is going to shrink while Marc is in jail, but not because of Marc. The movement is a revolving door of people under 30, so it's not getting refinement. The attrition rate is high (sorry).
Cannabis Culture is not likely to publish much sustained criticism, the store isn't going anywhere, so, the pie is (IMHO) shrinking, but even with the comparisons to Jesus or MLK, Marc will end up well-liked by a larger piece.
The marijuana movement, as defined by the media, consists of activists who show up to do most of the protest organizing. These activists see a role for themselves in a future pot industry. For the old guard of the movement, it appears that a bunch of salesmen have taken over a social movement. The market is pretending to speak for the Commons. Thanks to Facebook, I get to see their comments. Cynicism is partly to blame, but there is a consistency to the complaints that do make sense on the organogram.
Activists help the media create content, which the media company needs in order to sell time to advertisers. Activists publish stony stories in Cannabis Culture and offer lots of links whatever they've found on 'the Google' …. but they're not community organizers.
For example, activists who are currently making money from prohibition might not like the idea of WalMart(TM) selling bongs, but there's only a handful of head shops. However, if you were a grower or distributor, or have some kind of vested interest in the future industry, you might prefer the status quo to a form of legalization where the government grows, or holds a monopoly on the legal pot. So, it's possible for a pot activist to be downright hostile to the legalization of pot, but call yourself a pot activist who is in favour of decriminalization.
The movement doesn't have community organizers – yet. Maybe someday, it will. Maybe that's the fruit that grows out of the plant we see today.
They have community organizers, lots of them…..there are "4/20" groups in almost all major cities and they have "meetings" all the time. Unfortunately most of the locations are not published until a day before for obvious reasons. Look up 4/20 groups on Facebook, you will find lots.
now that is a thought the activist that are trying to get pot legal may become the leaders in the movement to resist the government and there policies when pot is legalized. I think in my life time this will be a never ending story. I fully believe pot will be legalized and I honestly don't know if that would be a good thing or not. It would not affect Marc because he is sitting in a jail in the states. With Obama in power things may move quicker in the states but he may be a one term wonder. If the republican right wingers get in power then watch out. However we only really see what they want us to see and the spin people are brilliant at what they do.
fighting a bad cold and not feeling well so I will stop my thoughts for today. Have a good day.
Doug.
Obama?………..Are you kidding? I mean really. Obama is nothing more than another puppet in a LONG line of puppets to occupy the White House. In fact he is even worse than any other puppet in the history of the US because he has fooled so many people into thinking he is "different" and all about change. The guy has broken EVERY single campaign promise that he made and has EXPANDED upon ALL of the criminal acts of the Bush Admin. I would never expect this clown to do anything positive, ever.
I work from home when the kids are asleep, writing opinions about Heritage cases throughout the British Empire. I drifted from International Law into Treaty maps, so my thing is the British Imperial Land Management System. In 1922, city planning by locals was decriminalized, but before then, it was done through the Imperial Office. Sometimes I sleep 9pm-2am other times, it's 2am-7am.
The cornerstone of king-craft was knowing the location of resources and to plot that information required a map. Sometimes you know the location of more resources than you can extract, in which case, you have to decide what resources to bring on-line this year and which ones to hold back until future. Marijuana is just one of those resources that is being held back.
Marijuana is a man-made wedge issue that has been going on since the Great Depression. The people at the top of the food chain never stopped fearing the poor they create – from the Russian Revolution to the Dust Bowl and the New Deal. Poor people are supposed to drink alcohol – they're not supposed to listen to jazz music and read Thoreau. Alcohol is legal solely to weaken society and marijuana is illegal because it might lower the casualty rate.
My faith in humanity was raised a notch when I read that Brian has a grasp of what Alex Jones is all about. You hit the nail on the head, Brian ! Alex Jones got his start with a bull-horn outside the Governor's Mansion of George Bush. At the time, he was accusing Bohemian Grove members of being a Nazi Death Cult (including Henry Kissinger). Alex Jones is a shill.
The Media, the 1990s and Marc :
It's complex, so I'll try to explain at 80wpm in completed text – and hope for the best.
On the topic of Broadcast News
The people who pay Rush Limbaugh, Doctor Laura and Glenn Beck also pay George Noory of Coast to Coast AM – the radio show that was conceived by Bernays desire to keep the "colorful communities" chasing their tail. The radio show whose audience was built by Clear Channel buying just about every station in the USA. Their game is the soft soak, while Alex Jones is more of a hard-sell. Listening to Alex Jones is like having the newspaper read to you by Glenn Beck, or Rush Limbaugh.
What activists of today are looking at is a right wing public relations plan that was executed in the late 80s and 90s. Most activists take the poison and cite InfoWars because they think it's innocent/neutral, a benign tumour, or just part of a trend. This take-over of radio has turned shift workers (like truckers) into a captive audience and what comes out the other end is low-wage Republicans who think there is a Face on the surface of Mars – there's a team of volunteers logging millions of hours to search satellite photos of Mars because they believe.
Led to believe by the C2C-AM Science Advisor, who calls himself NASA's biggest critic, but tells 20,000,000 listeners to write to Congress and ask for more money for NASA. With critics like that, who needs friends ? The goal is to connect the individual laterally – with a non-consensual public culture – rather than vertically. It keeps the do-gooders minds off the homeless in the parks and fixated on surreal things, like anal-probing Martians, Y2K, 2012 and Holy Blood Holy Grail hoaxes.
The HBHG hoax, for example, was written & published by 3 Englishmen who went to France – and ignored the French academics who told them "it's surrealism". Connecting Jean Cocteau to being a descendant of Jesus Christ was an overt attempt at surrealism. Why would anyone trying to "rule the world" need to do something like that ? Well, it's simple : the principle is : if you have surreal power, you don't need Agency power. Clear Channel isn't inventing something new – they're importing the British model. The Round Table sent every British delegate to the WWI peace conference at Versailles and when hard times hit after the war, the Round Table, founded to "conceal the chaos of force and seizure" and the passion of posterity decided to break itself up into the Royal Institute on International Affairs (RIIA) and the media arm was the BBC. Clear Channel wants to do in the USA what the BBC has been doing in Great Britain since the early 1900s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8caxGSeKXlw
Clear Channel is a rabid right wing company with a definite political agenda, however, from a business point of view, they would be against marijuana because weakening the companies that pay for advertising is not in their best interests, like Tobacco, Alcohol and Prozac.
About Marc Emery
Full disclosure, I met Marc shortly after he arrived in Vancouver in 1992, while this unholy alliance was still taking shape and as Clinton took the White House from George Bush the Elder. Marc had been to India for about a year, and he told me, he had given up on Canada. The drug wars, the censorship and many of the things I wasn't happy about. I thought we would get along because I didn't see a conflict in what he wanted (to run a head shop at 300 block West Hastings) and what I wanted (a law that reflects the will of the people). I never found out if we would get along because, well, life happens. My resume and Marc's will explain how we missed each other.
I'm told by several people that Marc is kinda snooty and short or abrupt with people at times, but I never noticed that when I talked to him. In 1994, I was mid 20s and Marc was mid 30s. I only met him 2x or 3x and never had a detailed conversation with him, so I can't even guess if it's Marc drawing comparisons to MLK and Rosa Parks, or his followers. Glenn Beck is comparing himself to MLK these days, isn't he ? How's that working out for him ? Every claim is cannon fodder for someone trying to make the case that people in the crowd of legalization rallies are delusional, flighty, and you know, flowers in their hair with heads full of air.
Comparisons always backfire. Going to pitch a film, you can say your film is "Rocky meets Brokeback Mountain", but in the public square, you'll get more jeers than cheers for claiming sainthood. Everyone knows "Marc earned millions". Total revenue was high, but Marc probably gave away all he could, so it's especially unfair, but we're in an era of "gotcha journalism" and short attention spans. Comaprisons to Jesus is guaranteed to get a reaction. What do black activists think about Marc sharing the victimhood stage with Rosa Parks, who didn't sell 'back of the bus seeds'. Or MLK who paid with his life.
"A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject" – Winston Churchill
I am not happy at all that Marc is sitting in jail. I see several reasons why he's in jail that could be news stories every week … but rather than develop the top 5 reasons, it seems they're scraping the bottom of the barrel to compare Marc to such icons. Marc is a business maverick and a personality and a cornerstone of the movement. He's Marc Emery and that is enough to build a story on. Claims to divinity will be thrown back as ammunition.
There are the critics who knee-jerk their objections. Then there's the other side of the coin, which is what we are trying to learn by sharing information : what kind of people are sucked in by claims of divinity ? I guess we can look at cults and guess at the percentage of us that are prone to following. Do they follow because they want to watch Jesus walk with the cross ? Get whipped ? Get nailed to the cross ? Sing the "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" song ? Die ? Get resurrected ? Perhaps there's some sadists mixed in with the masochists. I'm going to assume it's not Marc because … well, it's safe to assume Marc would want his name to be kept in the news, but how that is carried out is entirely freelance.
I'm curious : why didn't organized religion come to the rescue of Marc ? Churches take in people fighting deportation all the time – why not Marc ?
The occupying of MP's offices is a move that comes out of desperation. These are non violent people who are very pissed off about what is happening in this country and around the world, but cannot bring themselves to really do anything about it. They know protests do not work. They know voting does not work. So they figure if they get enough press coverage, MAYBE the people will rise up and demand something be done. You know the Hegelian thing…….Problem, Reaction, Solution….they are using it to try and solve the injustices being done to average people. Of course they might not realize they are using it. Unfortunately the public is still very much asleep and will most likely ignore the jackboots stomping on their heads. We have ALL been brainwashed since birth. And that brainwashing will take generations to be cleared from our heads. This passed weekend in Toronto is an eyeopener for some people, but on average I would estimate that 70% of people still support the actions of police even though it was a clear cut case of police brutality and new world order domination. In that 70% there are a LOT of people who know it was wrong and see the direction we are taking, but will do nothing to stop it including talking about it. Therefore they support it. Sad.
Organized religion is another prison for the mind and has been since the very beginning of it thousands of years ago. It was created by the elites to control the masses through fear and continues to do so to this very day, although its power is definitely waning. I would never expect them to ever do anything constructive in terms of freeing us from tyranny. They are a tool of tyranny and will continue to be. God does not need a publicist, god does not need churches, god does not need representatives. God would laugh at all of these things as silly man made fantasies created to control the masses.
Brian it may amaze you that we agree on more things than you might imagine. Religion is the opiate of the people, so says Carl Marx. Fundamental is no fun and sometimes mental. We all seem to have this void inside of us and it seems to say we have a basic need to believe in something bigger than ourselves. This might be a cause or it could be God. I agree fully that much of religion is based more on fear than faith. I also believe that most people of faith simply follow and do very little in the way of asking simple question like why? I will not go as far as to say what God needs or does not need. I personally believe that God created man to reign and rule on this planet. I also believe God gave mankind a gift called free choice. To me this is an amazing gift. You have freedom to believe or not to believe. However there are those that do believe certain things about God and they have misused those beliefs for a variety of reasons to control the masses. Religion is a dangerous thing when used in the hands of people who choose to misuse it and many do. It does not take away from the fact that I believe man has a longing to know God and that God is more than willing to make himself known…..I have been on this journey to know Him for sometime….I keep bumping into roadblocks and trying to see through the fog is difficult but it is a journey I enjoy. So many people have been hurt by religion that even bring up the topic of God creates controversy. You are right we are all brainwashed and the question that begs to be asked is who is washing our brains? The answer will determine so much about how we live this life. Thanks Brian I enjoy your comments and I hope you are understanding a little more about where I am coming from.
The trouble with God is … He (and especially His Will) can be counterfeited. Surrealism is all about taking control of that and all it takes is some sort of demonstration of power. Sorting out what messages are fake and which ones are real is our job as individuals, but officially, in the High History of the Royal Court that is taught in schools, it's the King that interacts with the divine and mediates with the divine.
The Will of God dimension to power is everywhere. When the Divine Right of Kings appeared to be faltering, the 3rd richest man in the British Empire, heir to the Wedgewood Estate, came up with a solution to the problem. We're taught to be reverent and call these ideas "revolutionary ideas" and they are about as revolutionary as a member of the Prime Nobility could be. I'm talking about Charles Darwin, whose neutrality is never questioned because weakening Darwin means weakening Dawkins, Hitchens and other slavering aspirants – which in turn means strengthening those opposed to this wave of British Aristocratic Atheism emanating from Oxford and Cambridge (interestingly, the same place where we find the Round Table and dozens of other groups that have served and pleased the main benefactors of Imperialism.
So, to answer the question : "Who is washing your brain ?" … the brainwashers I'm talking about (above) have the power to pull it off and they brag about their success at brain washing.
Is there another suspect out there ? I don't think so. The Freemasons were created by the King in 1717 to take the blame, but it's really hard to take them seriously.
The Will of the People replaced the Will of God … and the WIll of the People is more easily counterfeited than the WIll of God.
The other suspects are the media, education system, legal system, culture, food "experts" and of course our parents. All have been used to control us.
Groups like the Freemasons are incubators. They are nothing more than a funnel that captures like minded people to be used in various control mechanisms. Same with "think tanks". Same with the royal bloodline. People are bred for the purpose.
At the end of the day, everything is an illusion anyways. We are living inside of a hologram that our eyes and ultimately our brains tell us is very real. Thats the funniest part of this entire thing.
The trouble with leadership or setting yourself up in the media as a person of great influence is the simple fact that we all have clay feet. There are things in our closets that we just don't want to be seen. I have seen this over and over again in religion and politics. It was a tough day when I found out some stuff about JFK or Martin Luther King. Then there is Benny Hinn the preacher who lives a life that is so bazaar and his followers still follow. Martin Luther a hero in Christianity wrote a book called "The Christ Killers." (more of a tract than book) and it was a major influence in the thinking of Adolf Hitler. So I am sure someone will do some detailed research on Marc Emery with the idea of exposing his motives. or what the reporter wants to suggest were his motives. When the stuff comes out it will not affect his true followers….they will see it as just another attack….to others they will say "see I told you so." and things will continue on with one exception these headlines work havoc on the person who is being exposed ……even if most of the stuff written is not accurate. The person other than the cause becomes the focus and now the message gets left behind and it becomes a personal vendetta. History repeats its self. However in this case someone else will pick up the torch and become the new messiah of the movement and the cause will go on. I have a feeling that the way the world is going pot will become legalized and the government will tax it and set up all kinds of regulations and we will see a bureaucratic circus set up just like we have for gambling, alcohol, tobacco and gun control. You want to see a three ring circus wait till they decide to legalize pot. So beware what you ask for you just may receive it. Just my opinion but willing to hear what others have to say.
The leaders of the hippie movement went into Public Relations because they didn't have a product that was being repressed – they only had an idea (Give Peace a Chance). Rubin said the activism was hard work, and that abuse of drugs, sex, and private property had made the counter-culture "a scary society in itself," (from Wiki entry).
With pot, you've already got your drug – so where's the lust and greed ? Considering what it could be – the movement is almost squeaky clean. The tragedy is watching Marc's enemies gather up all this ammunition. They continue to protest to get attention, not because they get results. The ability to summon protesters from Victory Square contributes to deceiving newspapers and tv news, but does it also deceive those vulnerable to hero worship ? Or looking for a prophet they can have access to ? It's a counterfeit of divinity, but is it a deliberate one ? Could we be seeing a projection of hero worship and denial coming from Marc's successor – who just happens to be his (probably very upset) wife ? She's flying around the country and leading the protests, but they can only be protesting what the Minister of Justice did in the past, because there's nothing he can do now, or in the future.
Consider the time and energy that went into the recent wave of occupying MPs offices in Ontario. That had to cost quite a bit of money, but as the photos and news stories pile up, you and I are both on the same wave-length in anticipating "gotcha" journalism, like we would expect to see vultures circling road-kill. One mean spirited journalist clicks through photos and sees a 25yr old that travels coast to coast on $11.
This is where the PR problem of protesting – always front and center in stiletto heels and pencil skirts might backfire. The stated goal of a hit piece would be to debunk urban myths about Marc. I can hear the reporter pitching the story to his Editor and I can hear the Editor loving the idea and throwing resources at him. People who have worked in the industry (like sharks) know there's blood in the water. The only question is, when it happens and who will do it.
It reminds me … I heard Fox North is coming to Canada.
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Reminds me of a book I read crazies to my right and wacko's to my left. I think that was the title. There seems to be no middle ground anymore. Real news reporting has left the building. Just give me sensationalism or at best a bomb scare in Times Square and we can milk it for days is the cry of any news department today. For the world of the negative mindset this is a paradise. Ever see the movie broadcast news? The best scene I have ever seen in a movie was in it. It is in a board room with two people and one of them is explaining where the true power comes from in this ball we live on. In my opinion it was brilliant….I may pull that clip and run it on the site. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out with Marc. For now they are finding very creative ways to keep the issue alive. They even refer back to dated interviews to create a response but soon the roar will turn to just a hum and then we will be in a holding pattern until the successor comes forth or Marc breaks out……..one can only guess who the next person will be but it really does not matter because the powers, the real powers will control this like they do everything else.
If you were on the other side of this, like a large stakeholder in Seagram's or Molson's, wouldn't you be happy to see that, even if there isn't the death & blindness that precipitated the legalization of moonshine … the law is still a wonderful deterrant for consumers. Drink alcohol and you'll be cool like the people on TV … smoke pot and you'll be stereotyped by propaganda with public funds and/or beaten with a night-stick. You also won't get any white collar job that requires you to pee in a bottle.
I think the current group of leaders could pull it off, but only with some coordination. We're in an orgy of new media, with Facebook, YouTube etc, however, building a media profile doesn't necessarily build the movement. In the past, when broadcasting and printing were the domains of a few owners, building a media profile meant building credibility in the media – which meant power because a press release or Op-Ed piece would be taken seriously and it meant your opinion would be sought on issues related to marijuana and balance the public debate.
Building a private network on Facebook or a Blog is not quite the same accomplishment – but it does keep activists connected, which can only strengthen the social group in the long run. In the short term, there is some confusion about how to use these new tools and how to coordinate the interaction with the mainstream media. The "God is a Mushroom" stories will never do that, in fact, I will predict that the group that succeeds in leading the legalization movement to victory will either laugh at the fantasy writers, or have no association with them at all. Anyone following up on a story, or checking out a source would probably recoil.
Here's the rub with saying "God is a Pot Leaf" : that debate belongs at University, in the theology department. What's it doing being presented as a reason why we should legalize it ? It will only backfire. It seems their argument is that we need to legalize marijuana because (here's the counter-productive twist) people with religious motives criminalized it. I can see Cannabis Culture wanting their readers to read a story like that, but it's not something that should be taken as seriously as it is. It should not be a sacred cow.
For starters, church and state are separate. The people trying to officialize a new religion don't always have the same objectives as people trying to make a recreational drug legal. The urge to blindly get behind people starting up new religions is, they're trying to raise pot to a sacramental level. That's fine, if that's what they want to believe, but your beliefs (and mine) are a form of recreation.
The majority of people will not be framing the question in the way that the activists want – nor in the way that the activists have grown accustomed to because they're using the Internet to preach to the choir, rather than try to relate to people that have a career, a family, a house and responsibilities.
We have to play with the chips that everyone else plays with, so the winning touchdown that secures legalization will have shed, or abandoned, or (my choice) ignored the marijuana as a sacrament philosophy. Marijuana will be criminlized or decriminlized as a recreational drug – there is no escaping that fact. Words are words by common consent and a clear majority would define marijuana as a recreational drug, so the movement needs to narrow its focus to that definition.
Maybe that's not directly related to Marc's choices, but it hopefully explains how the movement drifts from one interpretation of marijuana to another. From a drug of personal choice … to a sacrament … to a medicine … it will bounce like a pinball, but nothing will change until the movement speaks a language the commoners can understand – and present rational ideas that the public will agree with.
It won't be a free for all – but because many activists hope to play a role in the future industry, the free-for-all is the only option that gets discussed by the community – and it's a pipe dream. It will be legal for people over 19yrs when it's taxed worse than cigarettes. The end consumer will be paying taxes thru the nose. The movement needs to discuss how to tweak the supply-side of a future industry because the scent of a new industry beginning will attract the attention of the Captains of other industries.
Ballard Power (North Van) invented a lithium battery before the hydrogen battery. They knew from experience they would lose control of their Ballard Hydrogen Fuel Cell, so they gave their patent to the Canadian Armed Forces for $1. Nobody would sue them. They can keep secrets. They can't be infiltrated. The movement needs to partner with hospitals and provide medicinal marijuana – raising money for health care in the residual business of selling for recreational use.
How do you see pot being legalized ? Do you see it being legalized with Marc in jail ? When Marc comes out of jail ? How do you think the loss of a central figure will affect the movement in BC ? Do you see anyone on the horizon that could lead the movement ? What is missing from the movement is a reality check with the majority of Canadians. Maybe ordinary Canadians are abused with faulty information by corrupt and bought off media organizations – but they are and will always be the jury in the case to legalize.
I loved Broadcast News – I'll bet the scene is on YouTube, but I can't open another browser right now.
When do you sleep? To be honest I am so surprised that pot is still illegal. There is so much money to be made and the power house big business giants of this world wield so much power that it amazes me that it is not legal. Now the truth might be that they are making far more money in the illegal trade of pot that they do not want to see it legalized. What a twist the people who are possibly making the biggest profits are the very ones who are stopping the process of legalizing marijuana. It could be possible that the very people who work at a high level with the Marc Emery's of this world are the very ones who set him up for jail time. The old story follow the money. Big business does not worry about legal or illegal they only look at one thing and that is profit line. Sure governments would profit from the legalization of pot but who cares about governments when the mega giants of this world control the funds that pay off the governments. So I don't know perhaps we are all being duped and played for fools when in reality if it made sense financial to legalize the drug it would have happened a long time ago. Perhaps Marc was one of the puppets on a string thinking he was fighting politics and religious bigotry when in reality he was part of the plan to keep the debate going and in doing so keep the industry illegal ……..it is just a thought …..but I think you will agree if the power boys wanted this legal it would have been legal by now…..these guys are amazing at p.r. and marketing and when they decide to pull the strings pot will be legalized but not till they decided…..Does my argument have merit?
Doug…..of course Marc was being used to keep the debate alive and therefore never legalize, just talk about it…..forever. Its the same with people like Alex Jones, David Icke, Allan Watt, Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich, the list goes on and on. They don't care what information gets out in the public arena, as long as they either control it or ridicule it with the end result being everyone talks about it but never does anything. Just another form of mind control.
As I mentioned earlier, people like the Duponts, Krupps etc. long ago paid off the politicians to make it illegal so they could make massive profits from their inferior products and maintain control over the populations consumerism. Their corporations continue to do so to this very day. Thats why hemp is illegal in the USA. Not because its a drug, which it clearly is not. But because of what can be made from it, which is pretty much everything.
Doug asked, "Why is Christianity brought into the discussion so often ?" I'll take a stab at that one.
There are not many books about marijuana out there and rushing to fill that void have been books that take wacky positions like, God is a Pot Leaf, or God is a Mushroom. The next time someone injects religion into a conversation, or defaults to religion as if religion were the reason marijuana is illegal, ask them if God is (a) a Mushroom, or (b) a Pot Leaf. You'll probably find their imagination has been abused by one of these books.
The real reasons that pot was made illegal requires an understanding of the power structure and rather than explain it, we see books that tell a Christian story with a twist : there's a pot leaf spun into every Bible story, from the Garden of Eden to Armageddon.
It has hopefully improved since I last looked, but these are the types of books you'll find in the Store on West Hastings. Sadly, most are taken as fact by Cannabis Culture magazine because, well, why debunk the genre that your magazine is selling into ? Why would a magazine undermine its #1 content provider ? These stories take the magazine reader on surreal adventures (couch-trips), but to make those dots line up and imagine a solid line requires belief, not intelligence. To be a Master of the Marijuana genre of books means not understanding how the world really works, because surrealism is all you get when you put fact & fantasy into a blender on puree. You'll recognize the people drinking from the same rhetorical osterizer.
This topic was supposed to be about Marc, but the books in Marc's store and the stories in Marc's magazine seemed worth mentioning, since you're getting comments that have almost a cult-vibe to them. I don't think Marc was ever the leader of the movement, nor did he pretend to be (did he ?). He was an icon. A role model for other small businessmen. A big contributor – definitely. Marc does (did) lots for the movement, but the movement has done (and continues to do) a lot for Marc.
Leonard
Leonard
I don't know that I agree with everything you say but I love the way you say it. Movements are an interesting study. It amazes me what people will stand up for and in some cases sacrifice there life. There must be something in our DNA that produces what I call the sheep complex. I am embarrassed by some of the Icons in the Christian religion. Sometimes I think people will follow anyone and any teaching as long as someone is willing to stand up and lead them. For years Christianity has been known for what it is against. I think the reason for that is simple, a whole lot of people in Christianity preach fear and elitism.
The old saying is don't hang around people who drink, smoke or chew . The reason mennonites don't make love standing up is that it might lead to dancing. (my try at a joke) There is a new breed of Christians who are trying to break out of the religious trappings and actually practice loving and forgiving. I was raised a preachers kid and I grew up hating religion. The funny thing is when I found my faith I found myself falling into a judgemental arena and for the last number of years I have been trying to escape this mindset. The book I read a lot says we are not to judge the speck in one persons eye and avoid the log that is in ours. It also says in the same way you judge you shall be judged….so I am choosing to judge with a whole lot of grace. I will never argue with anyone about the stupid things people do in the name of God there is no argument for stupidity. When it comes to pot there are so many forces trying to get a piece of the pie. I see people that are in the movement who will not open there mind to the possibility that smoking pot may be harmful….and on the other side I see people who will not open there mind to the possibility of positive usage of pot. I see business people like Marc and I cannot help but wonder if he has another agenda other than just wanting to see pot legalized for the good of mankind. The issue gets cloudy when someone or some movement will profit from there actions in a big way. I do love having a conversation with people like you because you have not taken the low road your sharing your thoughts and ideas without having to trash someone you may not agree with or feel that they are not as knowledgable as yourself. Thanks for some good input I like the way you think. I may not agree on everything but who does?
I put my views out there – partly because I can apply what I spent all that tuition money on … and partly because I'm always seeking a satisfactory rebuttal to my views. The Protestant Work Ethic was taken to extremes by Churchianity and inverted the faith.
Church of God and Church of Pot
I'm a devout ex-Lutheran and I saw potential in the congregation and the desire to help one another, but it required a "belief in believing". They banish the person of little faith, or the person who has that type of personality that voices the doubts that pop into their head. It also rewards the personality types that have doubts, but don't voice them (which would include people who go to Church just to network) as well as the people who get a euphoria from feeling nearer to God than the rest of us.
It seems to me the Church could "save" more souls by opening their doors to the doubting Thomases and welcoming them back to the congregation (even if they don't conform to the views that the Church prefers. The institutions conditions are paramount, while the congregation, braced for the apocaplypse and observing the trend of abandoning the church – don't seem to question the "believe or leave" edict that causes dwindling numbers.
I have concern for the time and energy that activists are spending on Marc's extradition and the other personality types that are already deifying and beautifying his martyrdom. I think the energy they get should be spent more constructively. Occupying MPs offices is a good tutorial for future activists, but it's also being studied by MPs, Cabinet Ministers and every police force in Canada.
There is lots of money in Canna-biz and I don't know a single person over 25yrs of age that buys the Prince of Pot as political prisoner story. Marc knew it was illegal, so grown ups see a businessman that took a risk and made millions of dollars. There was little/no resentment for the millions or the perks that go with it, like attending every concert, Olympic event and Canucks games, or touring the country. The guffaws and reality check came when Marc's supporters began leaning on people to continue to protest Marc's extradition asking, "what have you done for the movement"
It's a fair question to wonder how much of Marc's activities were business and how much were non-business (activist). Right now, the story is that Marc had $11 in his savings account when he was arrested, implying that he gave away every penny. Perhaps there is a 'proceeds of crime' law that Marc was worried about ?
Marc wanted to 'overgrow the government' – which I thought was a great idea ! He wanted to do it by selling seeds at full retail. People rarely give anything away for free – time or money. I don't think Marc gave away his time for free, so I don't think kids should be giving away their time/energy for free – at least not without all the facts being presented to them. Ordinarily, the media would investigate these things and the volunteers would get two sides of the story, but we live in interesting times.
Maybe someone closer to Marc can answer the question about whether he has another agenda. At this point, it's a sliding scale between activism and business. The only agenda remaining would be spin. Marc wants to be remembered as a political prisoner, rather than a businessman who broke a rule, but got to keep the millions.
Again you make some excellent points. One of the interesting things I read in the Bible is that Jesus was a friend of sinners. He did hang with some very interesting people, prostitute, fishermen, tax collectors……I think this is why he was so controversial.
On the topic of people who embrace martyrdom , there must be a special power that people have when they take on the role of martyr. It saddens me to see young children convinced that it is a Godly thing to blow themselves up and in the process take other innocent peoples lives with them. They make posters of these young people and give them great honour. Nelson Mandella (Sp) was put in prison and when he was released as an older man the attitude and the changes he stood for was hard to get your head around. Ghandi was an amazing person who changed the world he lived in and did certain things with his life that very few people in this world could ever do. Then there are the people who stand for what they believe and are spending time in prison today and we will never hear of them and they will not make headlines….thousands of people who refuse to give up there beliefs and are paying a high price. It is difficult to understand a person who is willing to go to jail over the right to smoke pot. I understand that there is a bigger picture than what I might be seeing but giving up your freedom over the issue of pot and the right to smoke it freely is difficult for me to get my head around. The problem is that I have not been in the pot culture for many years and this movement almost has spiritual overtones. There is the messiah personality and then there are the followers who will believe and stand for whatever is being said . Again there is something in our DNA that seems to move us towards a tribe mentality. I like what you said about the church opening it's doors to the doubters and those that could use some real relationships but are not at the stage of being a follower….That is a good dream but the Church as we know it cannot accept the gays who believe in God into the fold how can they reach out to those who still do not Believe? I have so much I have to learn and so much to take in but perhaps a site like this can build some bridges and tear down some walls…that is my dream.
Marc is suffering for someone's sins and it's interesting to see who is giving information (all data) on the subject and who is only giving propaganda (some data). We will likely never see a harsh or critical word written about Marc in Cannabis Culture magazine because they're not looking for the middle of the road.
Cannabis Culture is like a porn magazine. It's glossy and full of b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l images of buds, colas and plants. The two groups taking it serious enough to pay for home delivery are the self-directed growers (for personal or profit), who don't want any attention. On the other side, there are activists who do want attention. It took several generations for fashion magazines to admit their industry had a problem with eating disorders, like bulemia, so there may be a tombstone effect that applies to magazines and CC is on a learning curve. The activists hubris comes from believing they can learn about activism at Hastings and Cambie in Vancouver.
Activism requires an understanding of Public Relations. It's about one to many communication – but activism is about using a narrow opening in the mainstream media to make people think. It's about beating the powers that be on their home turf. We have people that could be doing that – you met David Malmo-Levine (whom I have not met in person yet) and you've probably seen others on YouTube.
When you've got your own magazine, you no longer need to find the main stage and fight your way onto it (to win the point and advance your case). Suddenly, you're not a preacher going to the people anymore. You're in the church, preaching to the converted, confusing quantity of published articles with quality of message. The other twist is that 300 block West Hastings is situated to provide a ready supply of protesters.
The majority of what activists are doing nowadays, is not old-school activism. It's preaching to the already converted. Maybe there is a quasi-religious aspect to asking people to do things for purely social reasons because it means asking them not to choose the devil they know – and to choose something that hasn't been tried. In this way, all change is a faith-based initiative, I suppose. Everyone I know over the age of 30yrs instinctively sees the profit motive and see through the risk Marc took.
The mainstream media has not been critical because they understand rhetoric. There's (a) what is said/written. Then, there's (b) what is heard in the mind of the reader. Finally, there is (c) what actually happens (which we can measure). As long as (c) is zero (or less), you won't see any criticism from the mainstream media, who will be happy to give Marc's people enough rope and they'll hang themselves. The mainstream media hasn't (yet) challeneged the assertion that Marc is a political prisoner, but that day is coming.
Perhaps when Marc is close to being released, we'll see some investigations into what Marc owns. The more lefties that support Marc means more casualties when Marc is taken down a notch, so critical articles will point out that If Marc only has $11, they'll say that's $11 more than an American would have been allowed to keep.
Wouldn't it be better to have these things aired out in 2010, rather than 2015 ? Wouldn't it be a burn for someone in their early 20s to blog everyday and protest in the rain, then find everyone reading the newspaper and being told Marc wasn't motivated by activism, but profit. I think it's better to strike while the metal is hot and challenge these things. I haven't read any cogent analysis of Marc's legal journey from these Blogs. It's the blind leading the blind. If Marc only had $11 when he was arrested – for heaven's sake, blog about that instead ! That would head-off any attempt to say otherwise in future. A reporter in 2015 trying to knee-cap Marc upon his release could be referred to a 5yr old article and told it's old news and not news.
I'm going to think about the tribe mentality and messiah complex, because it probably explains a lot. I had thought it was an age thing – where people change when they and their friends "get a life". I was seeing a bubble expanding and wondering what kind of a mess there would be when it pops. It sucks being a young bride and having your husband in jail – but it sucks in a different kind of way when 5yrs of waiting ends in an ambush of criticism. Cheers of "fight the power" can, 5yrs later, become jeers of "serves him right" and "well, was it worth it ?".
I had stayed out and stayed away from the movement, so I'm not an insider being petty, I'm a guy who probably could have been one of the leaders, but ended up battling adult chicken pox, then leukemia. I got my health back, but lost 30lbs that I couldn't afford to lose – but I never worried that the movement was in trouble until recently. I met Marc maybe 2x or 3x. In 1997, I found an original LeDain Commission box set, brought it to Marc intending to give it to him. Marc had been photocopying from a photocopy and was so happy to see an original, he gave me $20 and last I saw, it's still at his store (not for sale).
I'm a little worried by the abstract randomness of the noise (and hero worship) from the Free-Marc side, but I want Marc free, so I'm stuck. Either I try to fix it, which I can't, or I resign myself to watching a Gong Show of attempts to turn Marc into a saint. That is going to happen even if we have the best PR firm deciding things with think tanks and focus groups.
What worries me most is the silence on the other side of the spectrum. I don't want to see Marc squander his 5yrs in jail and I think it's better to be a businessman that made a mistake, or miscalculation than to suffer a big fall after followers held you up as a saint, martyr or "prince".
I think Jesus would say, "may he, who is without sin, cast the first stone" and I'm glad you posted this topic. The truth is always a great place to meet !!
Wow, I just watched your interview with Marc Emery and I have to say that it was the most ridiculous thing I have seen in a long, long time. Your display of ignorance knows no bounds and its a shame that you have no clue what you are talking about AND you have a show where you can spout your ignorance as if it were intelligence. No wonder our planet is in trouble. Its people like yourself that have allowed the really evil people on this planet to destroy it and kill so many of us over the course of history. Its people like you that HELP them to do it.
We should make a law that doesn't allow STUPID people to speak their minds in a public forum with the intention of corrupting others with their stupidity. YOU should be thrown in prison and never allowed out. Ever. That would be a fitting end for someone such as yourself. But of course that will never happen because STUPID people make the laws.
Wakeup and grow a brain.
Normally I would pull this comment from the site. We are trying to have discussion without putting down people we disagree with. I have offered to meet with the key people from the pro pot movement and I am open to share Ideas and thoughts. Sorry that I tick you off so much I must have hit a nerve. For your information the interview is very dated you might be interested in j
Hearing what I think today
Okay…..I will give you the benefit of the doubt……please, share with me your thought as of June 27, 2010. I would love to hear them. And kudos for not taking down my comment about your "dated" interview. That alone shows a change of attitude and I may owe you an apology.
To be honest I am at the stage where I am taking in information. I would like to have a clear understanding of the benefits and the harm in regards to Pot. I was raised during a time where the tobacco folks fed us a ton of lies and we believed them. There is a ton of money to be made in the pot industry and I am searching for some honest answers which is sometimes difficult to come by. I am open to hear and willing to listen. It seems like there are so many agendas it is hard to see truth. I don't have a bone to pick I would like some rational well thought out information. Do you know where I am coming from?
Thanks Doug…….Here is my opinion on the whole thing…..
First, pot was made illegal for a few reasons…
1. Hemp/pot can be used for a huge number of products. Products that are currently controlled by the elite families. Things like paper, building materials, clothing, fuel, food…….the list goes on and on. If it were legal, these products would be produced and would compete with the inferior products they are producing. Every single one of those products made from hemp is FAR superior to anything they create and they know this. Since anyone can grow pot, they would lose control over those industries and lose tons of money. Also they would lose their control over the populations because we would be more self sufficient. Products would be cheaper, better, safer and more abundant. There would be no need for their products and therefore no need for them and their families. They LOVE control. They always have. Thats why they spend so much money on lobbyists etc in order to control the direction of the governments of the world and the laws they pass.
2. They know that pot oil cures diseases. LOTS of diseases. Smoking pot really doesn't do it, but if you eat the oil made from it, organisms/parasites etc. cannot survive. THC kills them all. Look up "Run from the Cure – Rick Simpson" on Youtube.com I am sure you will find it interesting. The elites want to reduce the population dramatically and they don't hide the fact. They even brag about it. Also, since they own the pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies and many aspects of the medical establishments, the last thing they want is a simple cure for pretty much anything that kills us or makes us sick. Again its about money and controlling the population.
3. This is just my opinion, but I have come to believe that using pot opens up a persons mind. I am 46 years old, have met tons of people all across the country and no matter where I go, I always have much better conversations with pot smokers than I do with non smokers. In fact, almost all non smokers I talk too cannot have anything close to a deep conversation. Their eyes just fog over and they almost go to sleep. I am sure you know what I am talking about. And since you have smoked pot in the past, you are not part of that non smoker crowd because your eyes have been opened in the past to some degree, which is why we are having this conversation right now. Again, the elites of this world don't want a population that is awake and aware.
On another note, that is the reason why they put sodium fluoride in our water, dangerous chemicals in our food and air etc. To dumb down the population making them easier to control. Did you know Hitler was the first to use fluoride in water? He put it into the water of the camps to make the inmates docile and easier to control. It just goes on and on…….
Okay, now onto some of your questions…..
The tobacco industry is another example of population control. They are allowed to put dangerous chemicals into the tobacco as well as the paper they use in the cigarettes. They say its "preservatives", but the end result is addiction, cancer etc. which fuels their other investments, ie; pharma, hospitals etc. They intentionally make it deadly and highly addictive.
Natural pot on the other hand is harmless. Unfortunately there are growers who use chemicals to speed up the budding process due to arrest fears and greed and these chemicals are toxic. Its mostly criminals who do this due to the high price pot gets on the black market. If it were legal, anyone who smokes it would be able to grow their own and wouldn't use these chemicals, thus making the pot just as safe as nature intended.
If it was legal, there would be no money to be made selling buds…..there would however be a ton of money to be made in other ways that I have mentioned earlier. Tons of money would be saved by governments because there would be nobody in jail for pot. There would be no gang wars over pot. It goes on and on.
In fact all drugs should be legal. People who use these drugs will use them whether they are legal or not. The problem is prohibition creates criminal gangs that wish to control this very lucrative business. If they were legal, there would be no gangs. If they were legal, addicts wouldn't have to commit crimes to pay for their drugs. They commit crimes because of the high prices being charged. If they were legal, the price would drop to almost nothing because anyone can grow the stuff and there would be no penalty for doing so. Because its all illegal, the prices are artificially raised, creating huge profits for criminals. Legalize everything and all that crime disappears.
Of course that's just my opinion…….I tried to keep it as short as possible even though I could have gone into each of these points in far greater detail. I hope I have not bored you…LOL.
Many of the most well-known Christians in history practiced civil disobedience to oppose unjust laws, and many Christians have paid high prices for their convictions. One reason they gave so much is that they knew that their actions would be noticed by others. Actions speak far louder than words.
Whether or not one agrees with Emery on the subject of cannabis, he has accepted martyrdom for a cause about which he is absolutely passionate.
Now let us examine our extradition laws: Thanks to the Supreme Court of Canada, as soon as some (usually crooked) US prosecutor wants your butt, you as a Canadian lose your fundamental right to justice. Once extradition proceedings begin, you no longer have a right to make full answer in defense, etc.
This is a loophole in the Charter that you could drive a truck through.
The one safety valve in the extradition process is Ministerial discretion, a feature of our law that obviously failed in this case. Everyone who knows the law will tell you that 1) the US request for Emery was political in nature, i.e. to silence Emery, and 2) the Minister has a duty in our law to prevent political extraditions.
Obviously that did not work, presumably because the Conservatives want Emery silenced as well.
This could happen to any Canadian who expresses public views which offend the US Administration and other powers that be. This aspect should be a concern to every Canadian. We are all vulnerable until our extradition laws are subordinated to Charter norms of fundamental justice.
Therefore, Christians should be supporting Emery, because Christians could be next.
Thank you for your comments. I am not sure why so many people bring Christianty into the discussion. In a way there seems to be this bias towards Christians. It seems to weaken an argument when we paint a group of people with one brush. You might be surprised to know what I believe.
Most of the persecution against Christians has been by the hands of other Christians. That illustrates just how "not one thing" Christians truly are.
It is the fact that Christianity is so diverse that gave rise to endless war in Europe, and to the constitutional provisions which were adopted by the young American republic. Thus, "freedom of religion" in the US context was understood to mean freedom of Christianity. Many SCOTUS decisions reflect that attitude.
The subsequent treatment of "heretical" Christians, e.g. Mormons, demonstrates just how hard it is to train people out of religious and cultural clashing. Modern US politics is all about such clashes.
Use of plants is an identifying feature of many cultures. The roots of the laws the US used to put Emery away are found in religious, cultural, and racial prejudice. The War on Drugs has always been a religious/cultural/racial conflict, in both the US and Canada. The only variables are the particular racial/cultural/religious group under attack.
(In recent decades, arrest/prosecution/incarceration has become an important growth industry in much of the USA. Money does blur the lines, but the original justifications remain.)
Now that you mention your beliefs, Doug, do you mind telling us more. Do you think reasonable standards of justice were in fact met in the Emery case? Do you think the laws used against Emery are supportable in terms that are neutral with respect to religious belief, culture, race?
You make some good observations my faith is not rooted in the history of the region and how people have abused power in the name of God . I personally see Marcs situation in a simple way and I need more time to explain I am just heading out but will respond in more detail later . Have a good day
If we were in NAZI Germany right now I would expect a NAZI article to be written about the JEWs in this fashion. The JEWs in Germany were mostly good people who followed the 'NAZI LAWS' and put on the armband because it was (deceptively called) the "law". Would you want to deport and imprison a JEW because he failed to wear his star armband, or refused to get on the train to the work camps?
Have some respect for your fellow man. It is what Jesus wants.
There is a lot to respond to and I think instead of making this topic a personal issue we should have an intelligent discussion on the topic of pot. Since I have many friends who smoke pot and I used to smoke my share of pot why don't we talk about this and discuss the pro's and cons of smoking pot and the legalization of pot. I would be happy to come to Marc Emerys store on Hastings in the near future and have a discussion on the topic.of pot..
It always amazes me the illustrations and comments that come up when people are so passionate about a topic. I am open to discuss this in a rational way are you?
Marc knew he may pay a price for breaking the law as it stands. He has chosen to make the issue of the legalization of pot his crusade . Many of you are passionate about this issue so let's talk. I am open to discuss
God is the LAW. God is where or rights and freedom come from. We are born with them, no matter what repressive 'SYSTEM' we are born into.
Treat your Fellow man as they would have you treat them. Would you deport and have someone imprison someone for selling seeds. Would you accept this treatment for yourself?
The Beast in the 'SYSTEM'. It has no soul and will try to deceive you convince you of anything so you that you are under its Control.
The Beast LOVES goody 2 shoe Christians who would rather do what they are told than think for themselves.
Marc Emery didn't every say he didn't want to 'do the time'. In fact he said it would be better for the movement because it would draw more attention to it. This very article proves he was right.
Hey Doug, there is no humour whatsoever in Marc giving his freedom for pot.
It's not just about getting high.
People die in gang wars over a plant, that 100 years ago was common in medicine.
It was smoked openly on the streets in the 60's
Now people shoot each other over it.
When you attach strong penalties to the use of a substance, the cost of producing and obtaining it goes up, making it more worth risking your life to make these profits.
People die.
People die when they can't get the correct strain of medicine because Health Canada only provides crappy shwag grown by someone who knows nothing about the plant.
People die when Marijuana is the only thing that works for a health condition they have, and no longer get their medicine. eg. Chrons Disease.
Can you imagine being arrested for taking the only medicine that would work with you? And then they take that medicine away in prison?
That happens.
Thats why Marc gave himself for the cause.
Bring your mind outside of the little box you think in Doug!
The topic of medical usage of pot is a good one I would love to discuss it more. Marc has done what he set out to do and thT is to bring the topic of pot smoking and the legalization of pot to the attention of the public. You should be very happy for a site like so what do you think because it gives you an opportunity to speak your mind and disagree or agree with others and this is a good thing .
RE : Marc defended his business. Yes. Anyone in a trade or business can see that Marc Emery the Activist generates a ton of earned media attention for Marc Emery Seeds. His entourage is under 30 and only see the activism, so their demonstration plackards and blog posts describe Marc as a saint.
The public sees a businessman who took a risk (make millions but risk jail) that most people would not take. To hear/read someone compare that risk-taking to Jesus, MLK or Gandhi is a turn off. However, if Marc could demonstrate that he gave away millions, it would help, because everyone knows that Marc has made millions and has been photographed at just about every concert, Canucks game, and Olympic event, plus flying around the country.
putting people in cages for using plants? Only a "Christian" would think that is reasonable.
There are thousands of Christians behind bars today because of there beliefs and I am truly sorry that you have judged all Christians in a negative tone. You are right however many Christians are seen as judgemental and self righteous . If I appear to be that way to you I deeply apologize it is not how I would like to present myself.
Dear Doug :
No victim = no crime. Your problem is with non-conformity. You need to demonstrate the victim you are trying to save, which is why you raised the issue of high school children in the video. Marc didn't draw the lines that others would expect (availability to high school kids) because Marc is a libertarian and borderline anarchist. Not because Marc is a pot-head and pot impairs morality.
Pot laws descended from above, sealed by holy writ from Ottawa, based on racist non-science – and maintaining that taboo is no longer possible without weakening society. Turning cops into fashion-police would have the same impact. Eventually, it would cost SO much to arrest people wearing white after Labour Day – and so many people flaunting the law – that even the police begin to speak up and say, "why are we doing this ?" …. which they are asking. In spite of the best efforts to make coppers pee in a bottle and screening them from application through the police side of the drug war – STILL there are a growing number of those people in uniform saying the law is doing more harm than good and they have proof that their pee has been clean for decades. They don't advocate giving wall-tokes to high school kids – but they don't advocate the status quo, (war on drugs) because only sociopaths could defend.
Marc is Marc. Pot is a bad law that failed. Any law that criminalizes 1/3 of the population is a bad law … it's fascist. The alcoholic amateur social scientists that pushed for that law – we wouldn't let them work the till at McDonald's today. They were clearly doing the bidding for the permanent powers – the moneyed elite.
The people is a great beast (Hamilton) and alcohol disables and marginalizes the poor unwashed masses. Like a Rubik's cube, Prohibition of alcohol turned a patchwork of dry & wet communities into a single "no alcohol" nation …. which then flipped into having alcohol in every community.
Suffer the children arguments can only carry justification so far – but we're back to reality. It's unenforceable. Decades of throwing people in jail, a war on drug users and still the will of the people is for no prohibition (from users) and for tolerance (from non-users that understand society). Is it any accident that the Tory candidates espousing the war on drugs are always shut-out of big cities, except in the rich neighborhoods where everyone is concerned about the Estate Tax.
The facts presented in the media by drug warriors are not a reflection of the reality on the ground. It's a pipe-dream. The police can't contain the problem with lawful coercion. Maybe when it's Police versus individuals, like we are shown on TV shows like COPS, the cops always win. When it's Police versus defiant mob, the mob has all the power and sometimes they riot & loot.
The law is reducing our proud sheep-dogs from wolf-hunters into poodle-abusers.
Simple question do you believe that all the testing on pot that shows a negative response to what you beleive is a conspiracy lead by highly incompetent people?
What would there agenda be? I am willing to try and have intelligent disscussion and I am willing to talk about issues not personalities do you think we could do this?
Testing ? There is no scientific test that disagrees with me. I'm always open to having my information upgraded, so feel free if you have something worth considering. The best & most recent science is the LeDain Commission. It studied Canadians in Canada.
Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" program had a clearinghouse that pumped out propaganda in the late 80s and early 90s – boys who grew breasts after smoking a joint etc. All of that was a desperate attempt to justify the law and was debunked before the turn of the millennium. After the Drug Control Policies raided Health Canada's budget to try to prove marijuana was harmful, millions were spent and all failed to put a dent in LeDain (1972), which still stands – as far as I am aware.
Your question has an interesting slant to it. It's not a conspiracy unless it's pulled off by someone from outside the power structure. There is an outside chance that we're looking at a control fraud, which (to be successful) requires simultaneous control of key positions, but I don't think that could be maintained by a control fraud – especially not a Drug War waged for generations.
We could follow the money to the avoidable deaths, but we arrive at the same place. We are talking about people who operate behind the curtain, or from above the glass ceiling. Their bragging is all the proof we need. Their agenda … well, what kind of an agenda do Captains of Industry have ? You are in media, so you know the industry well enough to get a sixth sense about the agenda that Conrad Black, Izzy Asper, Rupert Murdoch and other Imperial Press Barons have …. and you know enough and people and your profession (journalism) to say with confidence that their agenda is not organic, or not the same as the Will of the People. The best explanation of "their" agenda was summed up best by Brian on June 27 (#1). Those who own this reality and think we walk in their created realm.
A question that comes to mind as I reply to your question : Why is it so difficult to ignore the will of the people on the ground ? Has your connection to your territory become stronger than your connection to the polity that surrounds you ?
From whence cometh this apathy to acquiesce to arbitrary rules that have descended from above, from over the mountain or across the ocean ? You know, the map is not the territory – and the minutum mundum or crystal ball being scryed by these Perfumed Princes is flawed, out-dated and self-serving. Is your obedience to tyrants a stronger instinct than your sense of loyalty to your neighbour ? I think you should trust your neighbours, if not your fellow British Columbians on the Left Coast, who are clearly NOT in favour of a law that criminalizes 33% or more of the population and certainly not in favour of throwing them in jail for mandatory minimum sentences.
First of all, Marc is called the "Prince of Pot", not the "King of Pot", so you clearly haven't done much reading on him. Secondly, Marc never set foot in the USA. He carried out his seed business in Canada, as a tax-paying, Revenue-Canada-approved business. Health Canada even recommended people go to his website.
Thirdly, Marc DID engage in legal activities to change the laws. That was the point of selling seeds: to raise money solely to finance the movement. He does not have a dime to his name. He gave away all of the money he earned, because that was the point. He ran in elections and is the leader of the BC Marijuana Party; he gave millions of dollars to court challenges, compassion clubs, patient legal fees, Global Marijuana Marches, conferences, rallies, festivals, media advertising, political parties, state initiatives, federal lawsuits, media and studies, and SO much more. He made $4 million over ten years through his seed sales and gave it all away. That was the point. We own nothing.
Marc was prepared to face the legal consequences in Canada, as he never left Canada, but the Vancouver police failed to get charges against him in 2003 so they worked with the Canadian Justice Department and US DEA to have Marc indicted in the USA in 2005, as proven by a video on my YouTube.com/JodieEmery channel ("Outsourcing Justice"). That's treason, that's outsourcing of justice and makes Marc a political prisoner.
Karen Tandy, head of the DEA, admitted that Marc's arrest was entirely political and never even mentioned the seeds. You can see that press release at http://www.NoExtradition.net but read it here and tell me that Marc is NOT a political prisoner:
"Today's DEA arrest of Marc Scott Emery, publisher of Cannabis Culture Magazine, and the founder of a marijuana legalization group — is a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the U.S. and Canada, but also to the marijuana legalization movement.
"His marijuana trade and propagandist marijuana magazine have generated nearly $5 million a year in profits that bolstered his trafficking efforts, but those have gone up in smoke today.
"Emery and his organization had been designated as one of the Attorney General's most wanted international drug trafficking organizational targets — one of only 46 in the world and the only one from Canada.
"Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on."
Thanks you for your comments I did refer to Marc as the king of pot and I Guess it was in my mind because of an article I had read from the states. It must be a difficult time for you and Marc and that may be an understatement . I do not have an axe to grind with Marc. I think it would be good to move past personalities and discuss issues. I would be happy to meet with you and your supporters to have an open forum. I would be open to meet with you for a cup of coffee to discuss this.
Do
Ok this is a good discussion….the point I am trying to make is simple. Ghandi, Martin Luther King and many others like them had causes that were worth giving your life for. Then we talk about Marc who is giving his life for Pot… somehow there is humour in that. Its like a bad Saturday night skit…..all these notable people giving up there lives for noble causes and then you see Marc Emery who is a seller of seeds who has had a very lucrative business giving up years of his life for the grand cause of pot…
So I will give Marc his fair due. He has stood up for his business and he is paying the price. He is committed to his cause and he has been arrested many times….I think I would have a better feeling for Marc if he did not have perhaps another agenda and that is the one that is tied into his business. I think Marc is in the same category as those that wanted to get booze legalized….it was not about the need for people to be free to drink it was about the need for people to make a lot of money and not go to jail for it.
Cheech and Chong perhaps said it best. "The world's coming to and end but I don't even care as long as I can have my limo and my big orange hair. It doesn't bother me if people think I'm funny because I'm a big star making lots of money money money money.." But hey Marc has made a name for himself, the king of Pot……and it does not bother him what I think because he is a fanatic….and it is the fanatics that make the headlines and create the followers. So the question I ask as the question asker is So what do you think is smoking pot and lobbying for the legalization of pot something you would go to jail for? To be honest in Vancouver it might as well be legalized because I don't see anyone having a problem smoking pot or for that matter finding a place to buy it. SO when you do not enforce a law there might as well be no law…..Marc stepped across the border where they do enforce the law and he knew the chances that he was taking and now he will pay a dear price…..But as he has said on interviews that I have watched…it will most likely be minimum security and he can continue his crusade …..so in some ways it fits into the plan that the king has for establishing his legacy as THE KING OF POT.
Yes it is true that many people disobeyed laws and paid a price. Martin Luther King, Gandhi. I just think going to jail because you want to smoke pot and sell pot is a crusade that I would not personally want to spend time in jail for. Marc disagrees with me and he has decided that smoking and selling pot is a worthy cause and he will now spend time in jail for his decision. Ok I get it Marc has a cause and he is willing to pay the price. Personally I don't get it but a lot of people who smoke pot do and they would like to see Canada legalize the industry for a number of reasons. Personally I think there are other issues that I would like to give time to. This may shock you but I have no axe to grind with Marc Emery It is just my opinion that going to jail for your convictions may be a noble thing but with the world in the shape its in going to jail for pot and the right to smoke it and grow it seems like a waste of time. However that is just me, I am sure thousands of people agree with Marc and they will support him. As I have said, I have friends that smoke pot and they are good people. I am not for sure that they would take a stand and go to jail for it. Listen I don't judge Marc Emery that is not for me to do. I am not Marc's enemy I am just sharing my simple view that making your life's quest to make pot legal is not an issue I would risk years of my life for. Marc states that he feels called to this life style and this is his destiny. Ok I get it. His legacy will be the one who made a stand for pot…..not my bag but Marc has given thirty years of his life to this cause and he has been arrested many times and now he spending some real time…..all for the right to smoke a joint. Ok I get it.
Hmm, I think you both have a point – I am sure a lot of people said exactly the same about Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela… "I just don't get them". We don't need to "get" Emery, we need to recognize that he is one of a rare breed who is willing to remain steadfast for what they want while society around them go WTF, paint them with scarlet letters, tar and feather them, send them to jail, take away their first born….
As for pot itself, I personally find it really ironic that POT would be such a highly controlled substance, when we freely sell alcohol. I would say the negative effects of alcohol have a far greater and more severe impact on other members of the community than pot does, but then I don't use, so I cannot really comment.
Emery is notable for the level to which he has taken this thing (right or wrong), but we have the same kind of issue with Anti Abortion groups, was watching CTV tonight and they had a thing about U of C taking action against some students who are anti-abortion activists for the graphic nature of their collateral.
The irony of mentioning Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela in the same context as Emery just occurred to me too
Good comments though, tell your friends and lets get some more….
This video was filmed seven years ago. I do have a problem with Marc Emery violating the law. He has a business and he has prospered from the business. He knew it was illegal and knowing it was illegal he now is paying the price for breaking the law. There are ways to change laws and breaking them is not a good choice in my opinion. However Marc obviously disagrees with me.
I feel bad for anyone who is locked up for any period of time. I don't know Marc and I know that he thinks I am an ignorant man and he may be right. The fact remains however Marc is spending time in jail for breaking a law he does not agree with. I think Marc will have plenty of time to think about his crusade and if it was worth it.
I have many close friends who have different opinions in regards to Pot and it makes for good conversation. Marc went beyond conversation and chose to take on the powers that be and he lost that battle. I have no battle with Marc Emery. Do I agree with him? No. Do I dislike him as a person? To be honest I don't know the man but I do know that he broke the law and he knew what may happen. I just hope Marc that personally this is a battle worth spending some of your best years for. Only you can really answer that question……
There would be a lot of things we would not have in Canada (or the US, and the rest of the world) today, and many people have ended up in way worse places than jail for breaking the law for what they believed in, so having the attitude of "no one should break the law, because it is the law" is a lemming attitude.
Much of what we have in our society today was created on the backs of civil disobedience, so I really don't buy your position. Where I do agree with not breaking the law is the things that make us a civil society, don't run red light, don't litter, don't kill other people, however, what makes a person of character is someone with passion for what he believe in.
Someone, whose name I have forgotten (you would probably say because of the pot), once defined passion as: the willingness to endure discomfort and hardship for someone else, or for something you believe in. By this measure, Marc Emery is a man of character and a man of passion, he believes in something that you don't, however he has the character to express his views, to engage in civil disobedience and to endure hardship for what he believes in. How I wish that more people in our society, our elected leaders, our teachers, our elders, our friends, our pastors and our parents, those people who travel on the transit and stand by as a 70 year old man is mugged and do nothing, would exhibit just a fraction of the passion and character that this man has for what he believes.
Lastly, one has to wonder why Emery is in a US jail, when he was never charged for anything in Canada (where all his "offenses" with which he was charged in the US were committed). The fact that a Canadian appeal court judge ruled on March 7, 2008 in a similar case that a one-month jail sentence and probation constituted an adequate sentence for the crime of marijuana seed selling in Canada – makes the fact that he is about to be extradited to the US by the country whose justice system has set a precedent at appeal court level for a far leaner sentence is bizarre.
We will see what Justice Minister Rob Nicholson decides on May 10. It is a big decision for the minister, as no doubt the fact that he is a conservative places pressure on him from his party, as well as the the in-congruency in the resulting sentence that would be imposed on a citizen of the country of whose leadership he is a part.
Lastly, before you re-iterate everything you spewed above, without reading – and actually ingesting – what I wrote here, I agree that we need to accept the consequences of our actions, and that is exactly what Marc is doing, I wish others would realize and accept the consequences of theirs…
Ha, Google just sent me this link right beside this post. Thought I would share it here, as it is funny that Doug is just using another forum for his pre-conceived position, love the way he goes after Mark – LOL
Doug and Mark Emery
He does end the interview on a conciliatory – lets agree to disagree type note.
is the 420 the number of years the pot head will spend in jail? Marc should be happy they say you can get a lot of pot in jail….perhaps a new business opportunity.
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