Block the Extradition of Marc Emery

The War on Drugs is a War on Liberty

August 10, 2005 - Ottawa, Ontario. On July 29, the RCMP arrested Marc Emery, Leader of the British Columbia Marijuana Party along with fellow activists Michelle Rainey-Fenkarek and Gregory Williams. These arrests were the result of a U.S. Federal Grand Jury indictment on charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana Seeds and Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering. Since Marc Emery is alleged to have sold many of his seeds to U.S. customers, the investigation in Canada was actually led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration under the terms of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

The most disturbing fact is that the U.S. Attorney's Office has filed an extradition request with the Canadian government that all three Canadians be brought to Seattle to stand trial. If convicted in the U.S. on either of the marijuana charges, they could face cruel prison sentences ranging from a minimum of 10 years to life in prison.

Therefore the Libertarian Party of Canada calls upon Canada's Minister of Justice, Irwin Cotler, to block the extradition of Marc Emery and his associates, and to set them free. We also urge Parliament to narrow the types of crimes that are covered by extradition treaties in order to protect Canadians from legal domination by foreign governments.

Although the sale of cannabis seeds is also illegal in Canada, Marc Emery has not been charged by Canadian authorities, who are well aware that Canada has a medical-marijuana program in which patients can lawfully use marijuana.

U.S. officials have falsely characterized Marc Emery as motivated by greed, but the truth is that, in addition to serving those who are in desperate need of medical marijuana, the proceeds of his seed business have been directed towards political activism and compassionate aid for drug addicts.

It seems clear that Marc Emery was targeted because of his prominence as a political activist and this is another reason why the Minister of Justice should choose to rule against extradition. In these respects the Extradition Act states the following:

44. (1) The Minister shall refuse to make a surrender order if the Minister is satisfied that
(a) the surrender would be unjust or oppressive having regard to all the relevant circumstances; or
(b) the request for extradition is made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing the person by reason of their race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, language, colour, political opinion, ...

Libertarians believe in the principles of self-ownership and individual liberty. We believe that governments act aggressively when they violate these principles by interfering with an individual's freedom to buy, sell or use drugs such as marijuana for medicinal or other purposes.

We believe that each individual should be free to live as they choose, as long as they do not aggress against the life and property of others. Non-coercive means should be used to discourage the abuse of dangerous drugs instead of the destructive application of the criminal justice system.

That is why we call on Parliament and the people of Canada to not only decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana but to also work towards the abolition of the disastrous policy of drug prohibition, which results in increased criminal activity and the unjust imprisonment of peaceful citizens.

The Libertarian Party of Canada is dedicated to the cause of personal and economic freedom for all Canadians. We believe that individual liberty is a necessary condition for a peaceful and prosperous society.

We welcome enquiries from all Canadians who wish to aid our cause.

Contact Information

Jean-Serge Brisson
Leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada
ep523@freenet.carleton.ca
(613) 443-5423

Alan Mercer
Media Relations Officer
amercer@libertarian.on.ca