RANTS & REASONING

We Shouldn't Be Crying The Blues For London's Former Prince Of
Pot

He's known in the media as 'the Prince of Pot.' He's an entrepreneur.
He's a publisher of his own magazine and produces and owns his own
television show. If you haven't picked up a newspaper or turned on the
6 o'clock news lately, he might completely slip under you radar.

That is, of course, unless you are a partaker in that illegal herb
known as cannabis. And he is, of course, former Londoner Marc Emery.

He sees himself as a valiant martyr to us all. He believes he can be
compared to of all people, Martin Luther King Jr. Is he such a
revolutionary or is he really just another capitalist out to make a
buck off of the addiction of others and just got busted?

After perusing Marc Emery's website and seeing his letter to his
customer base, I have a pretty good idea of what Mr. Emery is all
about. He's a businessman first. If he weren't, the seeds would have
been sown for free. He's a political activist second.

And while I have respect for someone who does whatever is in his power
to change what he feels is wrong, I have a difficult time when it
comes to illegal drugs, especially when he makes a profit off of it
first and foremost.

What he does with that profit is not relevant. What is disturbing is
that Mr. Emery believes that all Canadians have given him tacit
approval to sell his goods into the United States and Canada.

He's been raided by Canadian authorities before and given slaps on the
wrists and a good talking to, but nothing as substantial as the events
that have recently taken place.

And he's right in his assumption. We've not gotten up in arms about
his business. If anything, we've shrugged him off as a guy so far out
to the left he is at risk of teetering off the edge into oblivion. We
snickered at the Prince of Pot label and never thought he would amount
to much else. Now he is fighting extradition to the U.S. to face
numerous charges, including trafficking and money laundering.

He claims his business practices are open face and there is no money
sitting in a bank anywhere. Any profit made has gone back into the
fight to legalize marijuana and to defend those who have been arrested
because of it. There are even requests for donations to cover his legal
fees.

Some say it's just a harmless, recreational drug. And for some that
just may be the case. If used responsibly, it's no more dangerous than
drinking a couple of beers after work to unwind after a hard day. But
here's the stinger. It is illegal. And for those who have no
self-control, it is dangerous. It can be a gateway drug, much to the
shock of many, I'm assuming.

I have typed up literally hundreds of case notes for drug addicted
clients. When asked what substance they began using the answer was
nearly always cannabis. By the time they reached our addictions
program, they were using more hardcore drugs because the marijuana
just wasn't strong enough anymore.

Some may say, certainly, those people are pre-disposed to addiction
and that may be. But it started somewhere, didn't it?

So should we be crying the blues for Marc Emery? Is he getting a raw
deal by the DEA? It's hard to say. You break the law intentionally,
you roll the dice and you take your chances. Do not for one minute
think that Mr. Emery is a dupe. This is a very intelligent man who is
going to make the absolute most of this opportunity.

The U.S. war on drugs is an ongoing battle that quite frankly will
never be won. So long as there is a demand, the supply will be met at
whatever cost. The U.S. justice department believes that by arresting
Marc Emery, they will create a serious dent in the marijuana trade.
Maybe for a short time it might.

But for every seed he has sewn, there is a plant out there providing
new seeds for a new entrepreneur. Maybe one is who more than willing
to sell it at your kids' school. So who is the dupe?

Sheryl Rooth has worked for The Salvation Army in correctional and
justice services for the past nine years.