47 Facts About Marc Emery

Marc Scott Emery was born on February 13,1958 and is a Canadian cannabis rights activist, entrepreneur and politician.

Marc Emery has been jailed several times for his cannabis activism.

Marc Emery is the estranged spouse of fellow activist Jodie Emery, with whom he operated Cannabis Culture magazine and Pot TV.

At the age of 9, Marc Emery started a business from his parents' home called Stamp Treasure, buying and selling stamps by mail order.

Marc Emery dropped out of high school in 1975 at age 17 to purchase a used book store in London, Ontario which he renamed City Lights Bookshop.

Marc Emery operated the store for 17 years, selling it in 1992.

In late 1994, a court challenge sponsored by Marc Emery convinced an Ontario judge to overturn the Canadian prohibition on marijuana and drug-related literature, making it legal for High Times magazine and marijuana grow books to be sold in Canada once more.

Marc Emery began selling seeds after attending the High Times Cannabis Cup.

Marc Emery received charges relating to illegal sales of paraphernalia and seeds, as well as assaulting a police officer.

Marc Emery was later convicted and given a $2,200 fine for the sales and jail time for the assault.

Marc Emery was banned from returning to the 300 block of West Hastings, where his businesses were located.

From 1998 until his arrest in 2005, Marc Emery paid provincial and federal taxes as a "marijuana seed vendor" totalling nearly $600,000.

On 16 December 2016, Marc Emery was arrested at the Mont-Royal Avenue store, during a series of raids conducted by the Montreal police.

Jodie Emery was released later that night with no charges, while Marc was held overnight.

Marc Emery worked on the New Democratic Party's campaign in London East in the 1979 federal election.

Marc Emery was a critic of slow police response times to robberies, advocating for private security officers for merchants and business owners.

Marc Emery started a campaign to eliminate the annual levy tax of $35 a year for downtown improvements, stating that it favoured a handful of the elite.

Marc Emery ran for the Libertarian Party of Canada in the 1980 federal election, finishing fourth in London East.

Marc Emery later left the Libertarians and became a London-area organizer for the libertarian Unparty, later renamed the Freedom Party of Ontario.

Marc Emery served as the Freedom Party's "action director" from 1984 to 1990.

Marc Emery ran as a candidate of the Freedom Party in the rural constituency of Middlesex, near London, Ontario in the 1987 provincial election.

Marc Emery received 499 votes for a distant fifth-place finish.

In 1982 and 1985, Marc Emery unsuccessfully ran for alderman in Ward 3 of London, Ontario.

In May 1987 during a strike by city workers, Marc Emery paid for truck rentals and volunteers to do the jobs of the striking workers.

Marc Emery ran for mayor of the city of Vancouver in 1996,2002 and 2008.

Marc Emery ran for the Canadian House of Commons as a Marijuana Party candidate in the 2000 federal election.

Marc Emery has been the BC Marijuana Party's president since its founding, and became party leader in 2003, when Dana Larsen resigned to join the NDP.

In 2003, when the prohibition of cannabis in Canada was in limbo, Marc Emery launched "the Summer of Legalization" tour, travelling to 18 cities across Canada to openly smoke marijuana in front of police stations.

In November 2003, Marc Emery endorsed NDP leader Jack Layton during an interview with Layton on the Pot TV program.

Marc Emery endorsed Svend Robinson's candidacy in Vancouver Centre during the 2006 federal election campaign.

Marc Emery had sought the Liberal Party of Canada's nomination in Vancouver East for the 2015 federal election her candidacy was disallowed by the party.

Marc Emery endorsed Maxime Bernier's candidacy for the leadership of the federal Conservative Party in 2016 and announced his intention to join the Conservatives in order to vote for Bernier, due to the candidate's libertarian platform.

In 1991, Marc Emery was convicted for selling copies of 2 Live Crew's rap CD As Nasty As They Wanna Be which had been deemed obscene and banned in Ontario.

Marc Emery was given one year's probation, but immediately after sentencing he began selling marijuana-related literature and High Times magazine, all in violation of Canadian law.

Marc Emery invited local police to his store to arrest him, but the police refused to charge him or interfere.

Marc Emery sponsored visits from marijuana activists including Ed Rosenthal, Steven Hager, Jack Herer and Paul Mavrides.

Marc Emery was convicted on charges of selling marijuana seeds in 1998, and received a $2,000 fine.

Marc Emery's supporters held an ongoing daily vigil outside the courthouse until he was released.

On January 14,2008, Marc Emery agreed to a tentative plea-bargain with US authorities.

Marc Emery agreed to plead guilty to one charge of drug distribution and accept a five-year sentence in the USA.

On May 20,2010, Marc Emery was extradited to the United States, pleading guilty on May 24 to one count of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.

On September 10,2010, Marc Emery was sentenced to 5 years in prison minus time served.

On June 30,2014, Marc Emery announced his pending release in a blog post on the Cannabis Culture website.

Marc and Jodie Emery were again arrested at Toronto Pearson International Airport on March 8,2017.

Marc Emery faced 15 charges, including conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of proceeds of crime.

In 2002, Marc Emery founded the Iboga Therapy House, an ibogaine-assisted detoxification therapy program located on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.

In 2001, Marc Emery was a featured presenter at Idea City, an annual gathering of notable Canadians organized by Moses Znaimer.