HANDS OFF OUR PRINCE OF POT

Drug officials in the United States are completely out of touch with
the North American public's attitude towards marijuana judging by
their aggressive efforts to extradite Marc Emery to face charges for
selling pot seeds over the Internet.

Although marijuana for recreational use is still illegal in both
countries, pot smoking is socially acceptable in Canada and the U.S.
to the point where it's been a punchline in popular culture for decades.

Getting high on weed is something people celebrate and laugh about
rather than frown upon.

Everyone does it, the saying goes, as evident in movies and television
from the past and present.

The classic pot smoking scene in the 1980s brat pack flick The
Breakfast Club demonstrates the bonding powers of marijuana.

The jock, the geek, the jock, the rich girl, the poor girl and the
burnout realized they weren't so different after a few tokes of a
joint help open their closed minds.

More recently the highly popular television program That 70's Show
exploits pot for comic value with its standard scene involving a
camera that revolves around a smoking circle.

T.V. producers would never try this type of scene with methamphetamine
or heroin.

It's not funny and never will be.

Marijuana is socially acceptable which differentiates it from harder
harmful drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.

But while Canada adapts to the changing attitude by liberalizing the
marijuana laws towards legalization, the U.S. continues to take an
outdated zero tolerance approach to pot that targeted and demonized
Canada's Prince of Pot.

What the American drug officials fail to realize is that Emery
provides seeds to people with an exemption for medical marijuana.

In some cases Canadian government officials steered them to Emery who
is known to supply the best pot seeds around.

That's why his seed business has been so successful domestically and
south of the border.

Alcohol prohibition didn't work in the 1920s and it's not working now
with marijuana.

Too many people enjoy smoking pot without having a problem with
it.

In fact some would argue marijuana is less harmful and addictive than
alcohol.

For that reason the DEA should concentrate their effort on more
harmful and addictive drugs such as methamphetamine and heroin, and
leave alone people like Emery who are providing an important public
service.