[Interview]
Marijuana-marijuana-marijuana!
Marc Emery for Ron Paul
Interview By William Wheaton
Why is a scantly clad picture of the wife of Marc Emery, Canada’s most famous cannabis trafficker’s wife, found on an on-line ad for a conservative Republican U.S. presidential candidate? Marc Emery has been called Canada’s “Prince of Pot” and operates as the leader of the British Columbia Marijuana Party. He owns the internet based Pot-TV and Cannabis Culture magazine, which he co-edits with his wife Jodi Emery. At time of writing, he and two of his employees, Greg “Marijuana Man” Williams and Michelle Rainey, the so-called “BC-3”, are faced with the prospect of extradition by the DEA to the United States and serving life in prison for exporting cannabis seeds by mail into the United States, advertised out of Cannabis Culture magazine. Marc Emery has never made any deceptions about the existence of his seed business, being well known as a flamboyant media character in Canada where he has attracted controversy for everything from calling Canada’s Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler a “Nazi-Jew” and allegedly listing the best drugs to get a woman in bed. However, the Canadian government rarely prosecutes cannabis seed sales, so the Canadian government knowingly let him run his business freely. In July of 2005, the Canadian authorities arrested the BC-3 at the request of the United States DEA. In response to all this, Vancouver’s infamous “Prince of Pot” has taken a most curious strategy. He’s doing on-line promotion for Republican U.S. Congressman Ron Paul’s long-shot presidential run because he believes Ron Paul will repeal “the entire federal drug law”.
Ron Paul is a candidate with controversial ties to right wing conspiracy theorists and alleged ties to Neo-Nazis. He also believes in putting a gigantic fence between the United States and Mexico. While maintaining a strong opposition to the U.S. Iraq War and the federal drug war, Ron Paul remains very much a conservative on topics such as immigration and abortion. Paul has appeared on the conspiracy theory oriented Alex Jones radio show, (Alex Jones being a member of the 9-11 Truth Movement that believe 9-11 was an inside job) and on the Conspiracy Planet webpage. There is an ad for the Paul campaign on Don Black’s white supremacist Stormfront.org webpage, which former Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan David Duke is strongly involved with. The Paul campaign has also reportedly received financial support from Don Black. None of this deters Marc Emery’s enthusiasm for Ron Paul. In conversation, Marc Emery speaks of Paul’s repeal of the federal drug laws in a definitive future tense- “Ron Paul can and will repeal the federal drug law”. Marc Emery is still sure that Paul would grant him a pardon even though Ron Paul’s communication director Jesse Benton said otherwise in a Seattle Weekly article posted on Marc’ Emery’s own Myspace.com page (http://www.myspace.com/prince_of_pot_marc_emery). When I spoke to Marc Emery on-line recently, the looming prospects of extradition hadn’t cooled his Ron Paul support.
The Interview:
William Wheaton: Ron Paul’s not doing so well. One problem is his association with conspiracy theorists, the other is that there is an ad for him on a white supremacist webpage that he hasn’t distanced himself from. Also, spam and Internet fanaticism don’t equal popularity. Why do you think he’s going to pardon you if elected?
Marc Emery: Ron Paul is amazing in every way. Best man for president in 50 years!
He will repeal the entire federal war on drugs. Easily the most principled, decent man in Congress. All those smears about white supremacists are absurd; every other candidate has far more reprehensible donors than David Duke.
William Wheaton: I disagree. I would be wary of the Stormfront.org thing and to a lesser extent the Alex Jones thing. In a certain way it doesn’t matter though, because he’s not doing that well. I think you see the Internet being used to mainstream far right conspiracy theories but I don’t see that becoming a presidential win, and even if he did wouldn’t he run into serious opposition in congress?
Marc Emery: It won’t matter about Congress. He can turn the 7th Fleet around. He can bring them back from Korea, Germany, Philippines, and Middle East without Congress. He can appoint an Attorney General who will free the pot people, disband the DEA and Paul himself can end the Drug Czar’s office. Paul as President can and will pardon all non-violent drug offenders himself under executive order.
The Dec 4th 2007 Rasmussen poll showed Paul at 7% across the USA, his highest yet. He’s up from 2% in July, and he has never fallen below his best high number so his trend is going to accelerate over the next 60 days, whereas Romney, Giuliani & McCain are all down from the same period. Huck is up, but Huck has no money. Thompson is going to disappear, too.
William Wheaton: May I reprint this conversation?
Marc Emery: You can always take anything we have written and use it. I have other Ron Paul pieces I can send you if you like too.
William Wheaton: What about Ron Paul on the border and immigration?
Marc Emery: … think its within the purview of the US federal government to maintain the territorial integrity of its borders, as per Dr. Paul, a national defense is only possible with a clear delineation of a border. “Fences make good neighbors” is a good libertarian mantra.
