Release Emery

To: Canadian House of Commons
Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled

We, the undersigned residents of Canada, and the rest of the world, draw the attention of the House to the following:

THAT Marc Emery, leader of the British Columbia Marijuana Party, was arrested on July 29, 2005 in Nova Scotia at the request of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency;

THAT Mr. Emery was arrested for activities that he pursued with the knowledge of the public and governments of Canada and the United States for over five years;

THAT Mr. Emery's activities were tacitly approved by the government when Health Canada directed those in need of medical marijuana to his business;

THAT Canada has not enforced the prohibition on viable cannabis seeds in its prohibition of marijuana for over ten years;

THAT Mr. Emery faces possible imprisonment in a federal United States penitentiary for his natural life - a grossly disproportionate sentence by Canadian standards that does not even exist in Canada;

THAT the United States has chosen to enforce this law against Mr. Emery and his associates as a political statement, while ignoring other, lower profile Canadians who operate similar businesses; and

THAT, according to the Extradition Act, the Minister of Justice "shall" refuse to surrender a person when the surrender would be unjust or oppressive, or when it is requested for the purpose of punishing the political opinions of the person;

THEREFORE, pursuant to the Extradition Act, your petitioners call upon Parliament to oppose the extradition of Marc Emery and order the Minister of Justice to refuse to issue a surrender order in this case.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned