News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: Emery Says City Trying to Shut Him Down |
| Title: | CN BC: Emery Says City Trying to Shut Him Down |
| Published On: | 2009-05-20 |
| Source: | Province, The (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2009-05-21 15:21:31 |
EMERY SAYS CITY TRYING TO SHUT HIM DOWN
Applications Rejected Because Of His Criminal Record
Marijuana activist Marc Emery says the city is trying to smoke him out of
town.
Emery has run his political campaign office, magazine and Cannabis Culture
Headquarters store out of a West Hastings building in Vancouver for over a
decade.
He's never needed a licence before because his company was run under his
political party, the now-defunct B.C. Marijuana Party.
But now he says the city is pulling out all the stops to prevent him from
earning a living.
"No one has ever complained about our three businesses in a whole decade,"
said Emery, who defended himself before a city hall licensing panel
yesterday.
"Basically they're just haters without a case and they want to hang me out
to dry."
Emery applied for three business licences in December 2008 for his
Cannabis Culture magazine, convenience store and marijuana-paraphernalia
store.
His applications were rejected on April 9, with city employees citing his
2004 drug-trafficking conviction criminal record. He argues he was merely
passing a joint.
Emery said he feels like he's being personally attacked.
"This is all about me," said Emery. "There are a dozen seed stores in this
city operating without licences and no one's charging them for anything.
"We're not doing anything: we don't sell seeds, we don't break the law, we
don't sell marijuana."
Emery noted that his political advocacy of cultivation, consumption,
production and legalization of marijuana was noted twice yesterday during
his rebuttal.
"This is totally related to the Olympics," he said.
"They're just nervous to show the culture of what Vancouver is really like
to the world.
"This is a total political battle. It has nothing to do with passing a
joint five years ago, that's just an excuse."
He's scheduled to meet with city officials again on July 21, where he
plans to argue the benefits of his enterprises to the city.
"They are grasping at straws to try to keep me out of this city," said Emery.
"They're trying to censor me and deny me a living because they don't like
me and they don't like what I'm about."
Applications Rejected Because Of His Criminal Record
Marijuana activist Marc Emery says the city is trying to smoke him out of
town.
Emery has run his political campaign office, magazine and Cannabis Culture
Headquarters store out of a West Hastings building in Vancouver for over a
decade.
He's never needed a licence before because his company was run under his
political party, the now-defunct B.C. Marijuana Party.
But now he says the city is pulling out all the stops to prevent him from
earning a living.
"No one has ever complained about our three businesses in a whole decade,"
said Emery, who defended himself before a city hall licensing panel
yesterday.
"Basically they're just haters without a case and they want to hang me out
to dry."
Emery applied for three business licences in December 2008 for his
Cannabis Culture magazine, convenience store and marijuana-paraphernalia
store.
His applications were rejected on April 9, with city employees citing his
2004 drug-trafficking conviction criminal record. He argues he was merely
passing a joint.
Emery said he feels like he's being personally attacked.
"This is all about me," said Emery. "There are a dozen seed stores in this
city operating without licences and no one's charging them for anything.
"We're not doing anything: we don't sell seeds, we don't break the law, we
don't sell marijuana."
Emery noted that his political advocacy of cultivation, consumption,
production and legalization of marijuana was noted twice yesterday during
his rebuttal.
"This is totally related to the Olympics," he said.
"They're just nervous to show the culture of what Vancouver is really like
to the world.
"This is a total political battle. It has nothing to do with passing a
joint five years ago, that's just an excuse."
He's scheduled to meet with city officials again on July 21, where he
plans to argue the benefits of his enterprises to the city.
"They are grasping at straws to try to keep me out of this city," said Emery.
"They're trying to censor me and deny me a living because they don't like
me and they don't like what I'm about."
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