cannabisnews.com: Prince of Pot Pans Canadian Marijuana Bill Prince of Pot Pans Canadian Marijuana Bill Posted by CN Staff on May 27, 2003 at 16:19:59 PT By Allan Dowd Source: Reuters Vancouver, British Columbia — In the smoky confines of the B.C. Marijuana Party Bookstore, the ''Prince of Pot'' was not impressed on Tuesday with Canada's plan to decriminalize small amounts of the drug. Marc Emery said marijuana smokers may face fines rather than prison sentences under the proposed law, but will end up paying higher prices because of tougher penalties proposed for growers of the drug. ''Superficially, it is going to be better for people who smoke pot in a public setting... but they're going to be paying more and going to be paying fines more routinely,'' said Emery. Under the new bill, introduced in Parliament on Tuesday, people caught with 15 grams (half an ounce, or enough for about 15 to 30 joints) or less of cannabis would only be fined, and criminal penalties would be reduced on those growing up to 25 marijuana plants. Marijuana is estimated by both police and advocates of its legalization to be a C$4 billion to C$6 billion ($2.9 billon to $4.3 billion) industry in British Columbia, with much of the potent ''B.C. Bud'' destined for the United States. Emery, who founded the B.C. Marijuana Party, runs a lucrative mail-order seed distribution company and owns Internet-based Pot-TV, estimates there are between 75,000 and 95,000 illegal ''grow-ops'' in the province. U.S. drug official often point to Vancouver -- sometimes nicknamed ''VanAmsterdam'' -- when they complain that any move to decriminalize marijuana would be a threat to the United States. ''This is for the United States,'' Emery said as he pointed to the section of the new bill dealing with tougher criminal penalties for people caught growing or possessing large amounts of marijuana. The maximum penalty for growing more than 50 plants would be doubled to 14 years in prison under the new legislation. Emery does not think tougher laws against marijuana cultivation will actually reduce the number of growing operations in the area, adding the cost of avoiding getting caught will be passed along to the consumer. He wants Canada to legalize pot, which would allow governments to collect tax revenues just as they do on tobacco and alcohol. Similar views could be heard at the Amsterdam Cafe, which has its own specially ventilated smoking area, pipes and smoking paraphernalia, as well as baked goods for those who get the munchies. ''It's not decriminalization, its recriminalization,'' said one man as he rolled up a joint. Emery does not expect the debate to end soon. After talking to a reporter he went over to a poster that showed a Toronto newspaper from June 1970. The headline reads ''Ottawa to ease marijuana law.'' Source: Reuters Author: Allan DowdPublished: May 27, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Reuters News ServiceWebsite: http://www.reuters.comContact: http://about.reuters.com/custhelp/Related Articles & Web Sites:Pot-TVhttp://www.pot-tv.netCannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmCanada Moves to Ease Marijuana Possession Lawhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16407.shtmlOttawa Causes a Stir With Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16406.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #12 posted by afterburner on May 29, 2003 at 22:12:36 PT: Here's Some More Decrim News on Pot-TV. Newshawks: Over an Hour of Decrim News! - Newshawks with Pot-TV - Running Time: 1 hr 50 min - Date Entered: 28 May 2003 - Viewer Rating: 8.50 (9 votes) - Number of Views: 862 - There is so much news coverage going on, and the different networks have been visiting us at our studio so much, it's hard to keep track of everything going on. Here's another installment of the coverage of Canada's crazy new "both ways at once" Drug Strategy. http://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse1989.ramNewshawks: Everybody is still talking about decrimilization! - Newshawks with Pot-TV - Running Time: 23 min - Date Entered: 29 May 2003 - Viewer Rating: 8.16 (4 votes) - Number of Views: 256 - More extensive coverage inicating a decision on cannabis could be one of the most important defining moments in the history of Canada. Pot-TV http://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse1991.ram [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by kaptinemo on May 28, 2003 at 09:27:47 PT: Crack...as in 'crack-brained' Every time I see this man, I am reminded about an old radio commercial I heard back in the early 1970's as part of Tricky Dick's phase of the Drugwar: A total ignoramus tries to impress a colleague with his anti-drug knowedge that you shoot marijuana and drink heroin. The colleague then informs him that he doesn't know anything at all.They might have been presciently talking about John Pee.It's maddening to know that when the rest of the planet isn't shaking in fear of our military machine, they are shaking with laughter at the stupid pronouncements of our top government people like Walters. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on May 27, 2003 at 21:32:03 PT afterburner Crack of Marijuana! Too Much! Thanks! [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by afterburner on May 27, 2003 at 21:19:48 PT: If You Want a Laugh at John Walter's Expense... The John Walter's Remix - Miscellaneous with Pot-TV - Running Time: 1 min - Date Entered: 21 May 2003 - Viewer Rating: 9.06 (27 votes) - Number of Views: 1628 - With all this crazy talk about legalization, regarding Canada's high potency marijuana, the "crack of marijuana", and the threat of an increased flow of BC Bud across the border, "a form of chemical warfare", the US Drug Czar decided to fight back with a rap message that the kids will relate to. http://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse1981.ramAlmost as funny as Annabelle, but not as cool. ego transcendence follows ego destruction, growing to critical mass, until cannabis and me are free of the cage and the shakedown. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on May 27, 2003 at 21:14:16 PT afterburner I'm watching Marc Emery now and man is he mad! I never heard him angry! Good show! [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by afterburner on May 27, 2003 at 21:05:19 PT: Marylynne Chamney - Let Down by Canada. Shame. Shame. Shame.Medical marijuana user - With some success and a lot of frustrations, users of medical marijuana have been fighting for years for changes to Canada's pot laws. Marylynne Chamney uses it to help fight epilepsy. She'd like the federal government to go even farther than it has today. May 27, 2003 (Runs 7:22) http://media.cbc.ca:8080/ramgen/clips/rm-newsworld/thomas_chamney030527.rm This is the woman who spent $100,000 on the black market to get her medical cannabis, then was robbed of her first medical cultivation when it reached maturity, and hit in the face by the robbers. Her frustration with Canada's neglect for the medical cannabis community come through loud and clear. Audio only from CBC News. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 27, 2003 at 20:54:49 PT afterburner I'm still watching The National and it sure has me confused during the question and answers. I felt like I was spinning in circles! Not really but spin, spin, spin! LOL! I'm going to watch the videos tonight from Pot-TV as soon as I can. I love the graphics floating around in the background. The leaves almost look like they are from CRRH! What a day and I also heard John Walters say what he did about how horrible marijuana is! I was shocked. I felt like I time warped back to the movie Reefer Madness. What a rollercoaster day and it isn't over yet I don't think. When Pot-TV gets The National on line will you make sure it's posted? I'd sure appreciate it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by afterburner on May 27, 2003 at 20:48:01 PT: FoM Some of the National clips are audio only. Try Alan Young: its video works for me. btw I found Marc Emery's tirade about the proposed law therapeutic. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 27, 2003 at 20:26:05 PT afterburner Thanks! I'm watching The National now and they have been doing news on the new marijuana law. I can't get the video on The National to work though. Here's the link to the web site. http://www.cbc.ca/national/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by afterburner on May 27, 2003 at 19:14:41 PT: The Video of the Press Conference Is Pot-TV See it yourself, and hear Marc Emery's reaction.Newshawks: Canadian Decrim is a smokescreen for US style War on Drugs - Newshawks with Pot-TV - Running Time: 32 min - Date Entered: 27 May 2003 - Viewer Rating: 6.66 (2 votes) - Number of Views: 145 - Although Canada is set to decrimalize up to 15 grams of cannabis, making it a ticketable offence, in order to justify the change in law to the Bush administration, penalties for growing and distribution are set to be doubled in some cases, with growers facing a maximum penalty of 14 years, over the existing seven. http://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse1986.ramPot TV News: Canadian Decrim - One Step Forward, Two Steps Back! - Pot TV News - Running Time: 20 min - Date Entered: 27 May 2003 - Viewer Rating: 7.49 (4 votes) - Number of Views: 205 - Marc Emery discusses the new Canadian Cannabis Reform Bill. With the Liberal's Federal Drug Strategy and fines for possession and increased penalties for growing and distribution, it seems the canadian government is trying to take the law in two directions at once! One small step forward and two big steps backwards. http://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse1987.ram ego transcendence follows ego destruction, if not now, when? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by afterburner on May 27, 2003 at 18:39:19 PT: If The Antis Have Their Way & Defeat R(D)ecrim... then the courts rule and Canada will have no effective prohibition of cannabis possession, cultivation, or even trafficking. That is, taking cannabis medicine, planting a medical cannabis garden, or giving/selling cannabis medicine to a patient will be legal. The Canadian Government has not tabled, let alone passed, legislation to ensure a legal supply of medical cannabis to medical cannabis patients as mandated by the courts.ego transcendence follows ego destruction, and that's not the problem. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on May 27, 2003 at 17:45:18 PT: And the truth is, Emery's right The fines are nothing but blatant buttkissing of Uncle's hirsute and foul backside...unless the Canuck legislators are secretly hoping Uncle will turn around so they can kiss something else...Uncle just HAS to have his pound of flesh; it's no different than the alpha wolf reinforcing his dominance by putting his jaws around a possible rival's neck and growling. But if a sufficient number of Canadian voters make their displeasure known, the legislature will back off from even this. Because for all his growling, the wolf is scared spitless. He knows he can't keep it up; his rivals are getting stronger and more organized by the day. Just the fact that this year, for the first time in decades, anti-prohib legislation in Canada is not only being taken seriously, but is seven-tenths of the way to reality.As Richard Cowan long ago noted so sagely : Canada is too white too invade and too close to ignore. Growling about border slowdowns won't go on longer than it takes to establish it's hurting the US more than Canada. Just take a look at the Canadian dollar; it has in the course of a few weeks gained significantly against the US dollar; that's not a sign of economic resurgence on the part of America, but an indication of major trouble. Namely, inflation. The US simply cannot afford a slowdown due to engaging in economic warfare over a weed. The zealots will be replaced with cooler heads when their efforts prove to be more damaging than the behavior they try to stamp out - so let 'em try something. Pride goeth before the fall - and these guys have taken hubris to new heights. It's long past time they tasted some crow... [ Post Comment ] Post Comment