PRINCE OF POT STOPS IN BANFF

Marc Emery made the second stop on his farewell tour in Banff on July
6, speaking at the Central Park gazebo.

Emery, known as the "Prince of Pot," is embarking on a cross-Canada
tour before he returns to the United States to face incarceration for
selling marijuana seeds online.

Speaking to a crowd of about 100 people, Emery said that he is
"totally proud" of everything he did, and he was happy to see so many
people come out to see him.

"I would say at least 10 or 12 people here have been arrested for
marijuana," Emery said. "I tend to attract people who have been jailed
for pot, because they can relate to me."

Emery, 51, has been arrested and jailed numerous times for possession
and distribution of marijuana.

He has been an activist for the legalization of marijuana for over 20
years. He has created his own magazine, Cannabis Culture, with his
wife, and he leads the B.C. Marijuana Party, which he will continue to
run while in prison.

In his speech, Emery talked about the benefits of marijuana, and
criticized the government for not doing proper research.

"It's a pure, bigoted prejudice with no basis in fact," Emery told the
crowd, who passed around marijuana joints as he spoke.

He said there are numerous things that consistently kill people that
the government has allowed to be legal, such as tobacco and alcohol,
but they won't permit the legalization of marijuana, even though
"marijuana's never killed anyone."

The event was sponsored by Hempire, a store that promotes the use of
hemp as a resource. The store sells things like smoking equipment,
clothing, cosmetics, and incense.

Krista Zoobkoff, the owner of Hempire and Libertarian candidate in the
last federal election, said she was pleased with the turnout, and was
happy to sponsor the event because she is an activist herself, and
always wanted to meet Emery.

Zoobkoff said that the charges against Emery are "insane," and the
government has never charged anyone with the selling of seeds. She
said they are doing this because "they are scared of Marc Emery."

Emery was arrested in 2005 on three different charges. In May of this
year, he announced that he will be pleading guilty to the charge of
distributing marijuana. In exchange for the guilty plea, the other two
charges - conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to engage
in money laundering - will be dropped.

Emery's tour finishes its run in August, after which Emery is expected
to turn himself into authorities in Seattle. He will be sentenced in
September.