DON'T FEAR THE REEFER

Legalizing marijuana would help put criminals out of business.

So says Josh Dawson, a University of Western Ontario student
originally from Brigden, who is leading a rally at the courthouse in
downtown London, today at 2 p.m.

The 24-year-old is speaking out against Canadian marijuana laws while
raising awareness about Marc Emery, a former London man who is facing
extradition to the United States for distributing marijuana seeds.

"If we legalize marijuana it would stop the funds that are going into
the black market," Dawson said. "As soon as you prohibit something,
you make that substance very profitable to those that can get away
with selling it."

Similar rallies are also scheduled across Canada, in the United
States, Europe and South Africa.

Marc Emery helped found the British Columbia Marijuana Party, is the
online publisher of Cannabis Culture, Marijuana Magazine and has
actively fought to legalize marijuana for years.

He's planning to plead guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana
for selling marijuana seeds to Americans, Sept. 28, in a federal
court in Seattle.

He's turning himself in rather than facing extradition charges and is
expected to spend five years in jail.

Deemed the "Prince of Pot" Emery was arrested in 2005 and has been
fighting to serve his sentence in Canada.

"He's being targeted for political reasons," Dawson said. "There are
hundreds of seed sellers that operate freely in Canada and we don't
target them basically because they're not putting their money back
into the marijuana movement."

A February article written by Emery's wife, Jodie, at
www.cannabisculture.com/noextradition, says he spent more than $4
million between 1995 and 2005 on activism, ballot initiatives, drug
addiction clinics and other aspects of the marijuana movement.

Const. Bill Baines with the Sarnia Police Service said traditionally
police have opposed the decriminalization of marijuana.

"We're dealing with drivers impaired by alcohol on a regular basis
and if we decriminalize or legalize marijuana, does that increase the
number of drivers that are using the product and then getting behind
the wheel of a car?" he said.

Those with an addiction may also turn to crime to support their
addiction, he said.

"To say it's a victimless crime is very far from the truth."

Dawson said other than raising awareness, the rally will motivate
people to help bring Emery back to Canada.

"A Canadian citizen is being sent to the United States when he hasn't
been charged in Canada," he said.

"I need people to be calling our Minister of Justice to be telling
him it's critical we have Marc Emery transferred back to a Canadian
prison as soon as possible."