Marc and Jodie Emery still in legal limbo after court date adjourned
B.C. couple were on their way to a pot festival in Europe when they were arrested in March
Marc Emery, Canada's self-proclaimed Prince of Pot, and his wife and fellow marijuana activist Jodie Emery made a brief appearance in a Toronto courtroom on numerous drug trafficking and possession charges.
The Emerys, as well as three co-accused, spent only a few minutes in front of the judge before the case was adjourned until May 23 so that the Crown could further prepare an evidence disclosure.
The Emerys were on their way to a pot festival in Europe when they were arrested in March. While the couple remained in custody, police raided several of their Cannabis Culture pot shops in Toronto, Hamilton and Vancouver.
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The pair and their three co-accused were later released on $30,000 bail. The Emerys both face possible jail time.
'That's no way to treat a Canadian in 2017'
"These marijuana laws are sending peaceful people like ourselves into cells in handcuffs," Jodie Emery told reporters after leaving court. "That's no way to treat a Canadian in 2017 for something that's going to be legalized next year."
Marc Emery had hoped to have his bailed conditions altered today so that he could go on a cross-country cannabis promotion tour rather than remain sequestered in Toronto. For now, he must stay in Ontario.
The Emerys have argued that these conditions prevent them from running a fledgling cannabis empire — with around a dozen recreational marijuana stores across Canada — and continuing with peaceful activism.
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After the pair were arrested in March, Toronto police spokesperson Mark Pugash said while federal legalization may be on the horizon, people who are selling marijuana are still breaking the law unless they have been licensed to do so by the federal government.
"We're seeing people make huge amounts of money not only breaking the law, but endangering the public," he said.