Open letter asks justice minister to quash extradition of Cannabis Culture publisher

Belleville libertarian lawyer Karen Selick has written an open letter in the National Post to Minister of Justice Rob Nicholson urging him to intervene in the extradition hearing for Cannabis Culture magazine publisher Marc Emery. Emery, Michelle Rainey, and Greg Williams (front) have been dubbed the "BC3" and the U.S. is asking for their extradition to serve up to 10 years in prison . The hearing, which has slowly been wending its way through the courts, is to be held January 21 and Selick points out that the courts will likely approve the extradition and only the minister can block it.

Once the court has ruled, the Extradition Act gives you discretion to refuse to surrender Marc if it“would be unjust or oppressive having regard to all the relevant circumstances.”

Selick then goes on to enumerate some of those circumstances, including the fact that Emery is being made an example of by the U.S. authorities for flouting the War on Drugs by selling marijuana seeds. She thereby makes a fairly compelling case that -- despite Emery's own provocative ways as the "Prince of Pot" in promoting the free use of marijuana -- he is being persecuted for political reasons.

The Extradition Act requires you, Mr. Justice Minister, to refuse to surrender a person if the request for extradition is “made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing the person by reason of their…political opinion….” Please consider Marc’s long history of idealistic activism and tell the U.S. government that you won’t let them haul this politically motivated Canadian hero off to one of their jails.