HARDLY A PRINCE

Marc Emery Peddles a Dangerous Drug and Flouts American Laws. Why
Should Ottawa Protect Him?

Two recent National Post columns have called for Canadians to support
a drug dealer named Marc Emery. Widely known as Canada's "Prince of
Pot," he has openly sold marijuana seeds over the Internet for years.
The act is illegal in Canada, the United States and most other
nations, but a decade of laissez-faire drug enforcement and
enlightened chatter about legalization have kept muddled Canadian
authorities from taking any meaningful action against him.

In 2005, U.S. prosecutors charged Emery with conspiracy to
manufacture and distribute marijuana, and conspiring to launder
money. The only thing currently standing between Emery and his date
with the American judicial system is an extradition hearing, set to
begin on Jan. 21.

In "An open letter to Justice Minister Rob Nicholson," published in
these pages on Jan. 2, lawyer Karen Selick asked Nicholson to refuse
to surrender Emery. Why? Because he is a "Canadian hero" who acted
openly, paid income tax and sold medical marijuana to the sick. (Can
you imagine if we applied similar principles to all criminal acts?)

Two days later, National Post columnist Colby Cosh argued that
surrendering Emery would be a blow to Canada's national sovereignty.
Why? Because Canadian authorities have never charged Emery and, if
the positions were reversed, the Americans would "raise hell about
foreigners telling them how to run their country."

Frankly, this case isn't that important -- or that complicated.
Emery's activities violate U.S. law, Canada has an extradition treaty
with the United States, and our government has an obligation to
honour its terms. There is no political issue; no issue of national
sovereignty. The only fact that counts is that Emery repeatedly
violated American law, and did so deliberately.

In a Jan. 30, 2006, message, Emery outlined his calculated plan of
"purposeful lawbreaking." On March 3, 2006, he wrote of his initial
post-arrest thought that every seed sold and every arrest was "all
for this moment in time." He bragged to The New York Times that he's
sold more marijuana seeds than anyone outside of the Netherlands,
claiming his "master plan" is to produce so much marijuana that no
government could eradicate or control it.

If his entire career as a marijuana vendor has been geared for this
moment, then I say we let him have it.

Emery's success in Canada stems first from a decade of going soft on
drugs. Wander through Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to see where
those policies have gotten us, and it's clear the approach has been
dead-wrong. Free drugs, free drug paraphernalia and a safe place to
inject have only kept addicts addicted.

Talk of legalizing marijuana has sold Canadians the mistaken notion
that marijuana is "a relatively harmless substance" only used by
responsible adults to relax on the weekend. But a September, 2007,
report revealed that pot smoking now exceeds cigarette smoking among
Canada's youth. Further, 10% of young people have a marijuana addiction.

In 2007, Canada was reported to have the highest rate of marijuana
usage (four times the world average) of any industrialized country.
When the "industrialized nation" caveat is removed, we rank fifth in the world.

These statistics suggest Canada is on a dangerous path, as research
increasingly shows that marijuana isn't harmless. It's addictive (in
the Netherlands, 27% of those seeking treatment for drug abuse are
marijuana users); adolescents are three times more likely than adults
to develop dependency and are at increased risk for depression and
suicide; and it's a gateway drug (users are 26 times more likely to
use other drugs).

A recent article in the British medical journal The Lancet suggests
marijuana increases the likelihood of psychosis by as much as 40%. In
Britain, 80% of those admitted to a London hospital with a first
episode of psychosis were marijuana users. Another study showed that
75%-80% of individuals with schizophrenia were habitual cannabis
users during their teens.

Marc Emery isn't a hero, he's a drug dealer. There isn't much of a
case to support government intervention in his extradition hearings,
but there's plenty of evidence to show why his activities are far
from harmless.