B.C. MARIJUANA CRUSADER FACES ELECTIONS CANADA INVESTIGATION

VANCOUVER -- Pot crusader Marc Emery could only joke Monday about his
apparently mounting legal woes after a government official informed
him he'd likely be investigated for violating third-party election
advertising.

"It looks like I'm going to get charged for violating the Elections
Act in the 2004 election," Emery said dryly.

Third parties that spend over $500 on election advertising must
register with Elections Canada and file an election advertising report
within four months after polling day.

Emery, 47, is scheduled to return to B.C. Supreme Court next month to
set a date for his extradition hearing on drug charges in the United
States.

The president of the B.C. Marijuana Party said he didn't known he had
to register with Elections Canada when he spent $6,500 to print 80,000
cards promoting the NDP in the last federal election.

"I presumed that because we have a political party we're entitled to
do stuff in British Columbia any time," he said.

Elections Canada official Leonard Giles, who visited Emery at his pot
paraphernalia store, wouldn't comment on the matter.

Serge Fleyfel, a spokesman for the agency, said from Ottawa that he
couldn't confirm whether Emery is under investigation for advertising
during the 2004 election campaign.

A decision by the commissioner of Elections Canada on any probe would
be posted on the agency's website, Fleyfel said.

Emery said Giles also gave him a warning letter Monday advising him to
register as a third-party advertiser in the current election.

Government officials seemed to have learned from his website,
www.cannabisculture.com, that his party had created 20,000 End
Prohibition cards to promote the New Democratic Party, Emery said.

The cards, 10,000 of which are destined for B.C. and Ontario, call on
would-be voters to support the NDP because it favours modernizing
marijuana laws.

The cards also suggest ending prohibition would shut out organized
crime and gang violence and stop gun crime.

"Now, alas, I have trouble," Emery said, as he turned serious for a
minute about his upcoming extradition hearing.

"Even getting charged might be enough to have bail revoked, let alone
getting convicted so it concerns me in that way."

Emery maintained, though, that he doesn't regard his oversight as a
big crime.