PROTESTERS FEAR SENTENCE PRECEDENT

A handful of supporters of marijuana activist Marc Emery began an
ongoing vigil at the Saskatoon provincial court Tuesday, denouncing
the so-call Prince of Pot's three-month jail sentence as a "debacle of
justice."

"We'll be here every day until Marc Emery is released," said protest
co-ordinator Dana Larsen, editor of Cannabis Culture magazine, which
was funded by Emery.

"I don't think this will succeed in getting Marc out early, but I
think it will draw attention. Our goal really is to stop this from
happening to anybody else."

Emery, a Vancouver-based marijuana seed dealer and founder of the B.C.
Marijuana Party, was sentenced in provincial court last week after
pleading guilty to one count of trafficking.

He had been arrested at the Vimy bandshell on March 22 following a
pro-pot speech at the University of Saskatchewan. A witness saw Emery
pass one joint to another person, but said no money changed hands.
When searched by police, Emery produced four marijuana cigarettes
containing a total of 2.3 grams.

Judge Albert Lavoie took Emery's 10 prior drug-related convictions
into account, but Larsen said three months is still an unreasonably
stiff sentence for passing one joint.

"I think most Canadians would think that's pretty extreme . . . and
would look upon Saskatoon as a backward place because of that, like
the Alabama of Canada," he said.

"I don't think anyone else has ever been convicted of trafficking this
quantity before.

"(A three-month sentence) really could happen again to anybody else,
and this could set a precedent."

Seven local Emery backers joined Larsen on Tuesday carrying a
marijuana-leaf version of the Canadian flag and handing out flyers
entitled Free Marc Emery.

"Me and Marc Emery are friends. I basically just came out to support
him," said Kerry Kunka, owner of B.O.B. Headquarters, which sells hemp
products. "He got arrested for what he was about."

Jay Crowter said he plans to be at the courthouse as often as possible
until Emery's release.

"It kind of scares me (that) a guy can go to jail for something so
simple as passing a (marijuana) cigarette," he said.

In July, Prime Minister Paul Martin promised to reintroduce
legislation to decriminalize possession of 15 grams of pot or less.
Larsen is urging pot advocates to write to Justice Minister Irwin
Cotler to encourage him to add a section to the bill making it legal
to pass small quantities to another person without financial
compensation.

Larsen and other activists from across the country are taking turns
flying to Saskatoon to organize the protest.