CANADIAN TO FILE CHARGES AGAINST MARIJUANA ACTIVIST IN BID TO THWART
EXTRADITION BY U.S. AUTHORITIES

VANCOUVER - A private citizen says he's filing charges Friday against
marijuana activist Marc Emery and two of his associates, partly
because that will throw a wrench into the United States' plans to
extradite the trio to face drug charges in that country.

"If he gets charged in Canada that will have major legal consequences
for that extradition request," said David McCann, a local
philanthropist and businessman.

McCann said he has hired prominent lawyer Peter Leask in filing three
charges of conspiracy under the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act and
the Criminal Code of Canada.

Canada has been hypocritical in allowing Emery to sell marijuana seeds
and collecting thousands of dollars in taxes while the city of
Vancouver gave him a business licence for his pot paraphernalia store,
he said.

"We have let him operate and now we let the Americans walk into our
country and charge a man who they will probably lock away for the rest
of his natural life in the United States for doing something that the
government of Canada condoned. And you know, I got a problem with that
as a Canadian."

Emery, along with his co-accused, Michele Rainey-Fenkarek and Greg
Keith Smith, were arrested July 29 after police raided Emery's store
following an 18-month investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration.

Kirk Tousaw, one of Emery's lawyers, said it's possible that the
United States' attempts to extradite his client would be thwarted.