'WE HAVE A POLICE STATE HERE': PRINCE OF POT

Marijuana users have contributed more beauty and more richness to the
world than anyone else, yet they are hunted down like dogs.

That was the message Vancouver's "Prince of Pot", a.k.a. Marc Emery,
had for his rapt audience at Doc's Cafe and Bakery on Thursday evening.

Following introductions from event organizer Chris Gilberds and Dana
Larsen, the NDP candidate for Vancouver West, Emery spoke for more
than two hours about the benefits of marijuana and the harm inflicted
on society by the war on drugs.

"Fabulous profits (for the drug dealers) could be ended overnight
without prohibition," said the wiry Emery. "It's so simple. All it
takes is the stroke of a pen."

A legalized, regulated drug industry would reduce property crime,
theft, prostitution and gang violence, said Emery. Police forces
could be cut in half, he said, and disease transmission though shared
needles would be reduced.

As it stands, he said, an ounce of marijuana can cost $200 to $300.
But if the substance were legalized, that price could be decimated to
$30 an ounce.

"Prohibition is designed to achieve nothing but its own
perpetuation," said Emery. "It's a great job-guaranteer for cops.
It's a war that can't be won."

The wild profits currently available through drug trafficking make
the industry irresistible for many young people, said Emery.

"It makes working at McDonald's for $8 an hour seem, shall we say, futile."

The marijuana industry in B.C. is worth $7 billion a year, said
Emery, and is second only to the construction sector.

Emery, a longtime cannabis activist who formerly sold marijuana seeds
by mail, said he has been arrested 23 times, jailed 17 times and
raided by police six times. He's been jailed in eight provinces and
has had $1 million in assets seized by police. He is currently free on bail.

Some of his convictions, which have included promoting bongs and
giving hash away for free, are "quite amusing," he said.

"I'm a very happy warrior. I have no regrets."

Emery is currently facing extradition to the U.S., where he could
receive a sentence of 20 years or longer to be served in a U.S. jail.

Emery said he will be sad if he ends up going to a U.S. prison, but
will have no regrets. He added that a 20-year jail term would be a
"death sentence" for him since the average life exectancy in American
jails is 65. And Emery is already 50.

Emery spoke openly about his reputation as a radical, saying he was
once described as the "number one drug trafficker in U.S. history" on
the Lou Dobbs Tonight show on CNN.

"There's only 45 dudes in the world more bad than me," said Emery, in
reference to his standing as the 46th most wanted man in the U.S.
Emery also noted he is the only Canadian on the list.

While Emery has sold marijuana seeds through the mail to Yukon
customers in the past, he said, this is the first time he has visited
the territory.

"I heard your premier is an ex-heroin dealer," he commented. "I find
that fantastic. And they want to put me away for 20 years!"

(Premier Dennis Fentie served time for a narcotics offence in Alberta
in the 1970s.)

No police presence was visible at Thursday's event, which saw upwards
of 50 people in attendance, despite an earlier statement from the
RCMP that uniformed officers would be present.

"We have a police state here," said Emery. "Nobody should be in jail
for an hour for marijuana. We live in a free society. We should be
able to do what we want to our own bodies."

Emery reiterated the benefits of marijuana use throughout his talk.
He claimed that marijuana kills cancer cells, reduces the risk of
Alzheimer's disease, cures morning sickness and is beneficial for
pregnant women, increases creativity, and does not lead to violent behaviour.

"You will never date-rape on pot. No one has ever died of pot."

Emery also said that "it's a complete slander" to say marijuana users
proceed to use harder drugs more often than non-marijuana users.

"I've never met an author who didn't smoke pot. Most journalists
smoke pot. Every video game was made by a person smoking pot," said Emery.

He also cited many prominent musicians such as the late Bob Marley,
the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as prolific marijuana users.

"And yet we're hunted down like dogs. It doesn't make any sense at all."

Larsen echoed many of Emery's views, agreeing that marijuana is "the
best plant on Earth" and has a "vast array" of medicinal and industrial uses.

Larsen said the war on drugs is an "absolute failure in every way. We
have to end Prohibition."

Larsen urged audience members to ask their local candidates about
their stance on drugs, particularly if a federal election is held in the fall.

"When it ends, we're going to look back on this terrible nightmare
and be glad we woke up."

Gilberds said he encountered several roadblocks during the planning
stages of last night's event.

In his advertisements, Gilberds said, he wasn't allowed to say the
event was a "friendly talk on illegal drugs" or an "open debate on marijuana."

"I couldn't say anything. I expected people not to be happy about it,
but I expected air time," he said.

Gilberds said rumours of throwing marijuana plants into the crowd
circulated before the event.

"No, this isn't a smoke-in," said Gilberds. "It's a public forum by
two people who really believe what they believe in."