Emery's deal shot down by Ottawa

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Prince of Pot's deal with U.S. shot down by Ottawa
Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, March 28, 2008

A tentative deal between Marc Emery, Vancouver's Prince of Pot, and the U.S. government over money-laundering and drug charges has been nixed by Ottawa.

Emery says the Conservative administration has refused to go along with a proposal that would have seen him spend five years behind bars for selling marijuana seeds through the mail.

Under the defunct pact, Emery was to plead guilty on both sides of the border and accept a sentence of 10 years imprisonment on the understanding he would serve half, mostly in Canada.

"All that was required for this deal was a rubber stamp from the federal government," Emery told me late Thursday. "They have, instead, rejected the deal without explanation . . . it is clearly political."

The longtime cannabis crusader said he originally agreed to the jail time in part to spare his associates and co-accused Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams from prosecution and prison.

"I was willing, the Americans were willing and all that we needed was the Conservative government to also agree," the 50-year-old said. "I certainly didn't think that would be a problem.

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