POT CRUSADER ALLOWED TO CAMPAIGN DURING ELECTION

VANCOUVER - A B.C. Supreme Court judge gave marijuana crusader Marc
Emery the green light Thursday to campaign during the federal election
but warned the man wanted in the United States for drug trafficking
shouldn't advocate the sale of marijuana seeds in any speeches.

"His speech has to be very careful and I think his counsel would tell
him that," said Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm.

Emery's lawyer, Ian Donaldson, said his client would advocate the
decriminalization of pot during the election - something he's done for
years as president of the B.C. Marijuana Party.

The U.S. is working to have Emery, 47, extradited to that country to
face charges that he sold pot seeds to Americans over the Internet.
The date of his extradition hearing will be set Feb. 13.

Emery, along with his co-accused, Michele Rainey-Fenkarek and Greg
Keith Williams, were arrested July 29 after police raided Emery's pot
paraphernalia store following an 18-month investigation by the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration.

Emery said outside court that he'd be campaigning for the NDP after
former MP Svend Robinson asked for his support when the politician was
seeking the nomination for Vancouver Centre.

"I'm fully endorsing the NDP in the federal election and I think
that's the best thing our people can do is support the New Democratic
Party in British Columbia for the federal election so I plan to
actively do that," Emery said.

He wanted the matter of his campaign activity brought before the court
because of his legal troubles that could land him in a U.S. jail for
years if he's extradited and found guilty of the drug charges.

But Emery, dubbed the Prince of Pot by American media, said he's not
afraid of being extradited.

"It never occurs to me to be fearful," he said. "After all, I've been
arrested 21 times and jailed 17 times, raided six times. I've had all
my assets taken from me by Vancouver police on several occasions
before. These things I have a lot of experience with."

The legal bills that have left him on the brink of bankruptcy are more
debilitating than the thought of being extradited, Emery said.

He said he has staved off financial disaster by moving in with
employees from his store and getting rid of his car.