Seattle Hempfest August 17-18-19, 2012

Free Bryan Epis!

Bryan Epis, the first California medical marijuana provider to be prosecuted and convicted for growing marijuana for patients, was sent back to federal prison by a federal judge in Sacramento. Epis had served two years of his sentence before he was released in 2004 by an order of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

The now more than 12-year-old case began in 1997, when Epis was arrested for growing at least 100 marijuana plants in the basement of his Chico home. During his trial, Epis testified that he was growing for himself and four other medical marijuana patients, with any excess marijuana going to a medical cannabis buyers' club.

But based on business plans Epis had sketched out to expand on his garden and prosecutors' allegations he was only in it for the money, a jury in Sacramento found him guilty in July 2002 of growing more than 100 plants and conspiracy to grow more than 1,000 plants. He received a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence, in part because his house was within 1,000 feet of a local high school.

Epis served two years in federal prison before winning a ruling from the 9th Circuit that he should be freed pending the resolution of the landmark Raich v. Gonzalez case. Unfortunately for Epis, the US Supreme Court ruled in that case that federal drug laws trump state medical marijuana laws.

Epis was resentenced to 10 years in 2007, but had been free on $500,000 bail pending appeal. But the 9th Circuit decided against him in August, the US Supreme Court declined to review that ruling, and the end came Monday.
Federal prosecutor Samuel Wong, who has been Epis' bête noir since the beginning of the case, didn't let up Monday. He continued to insist that the case had nothing to do with medical marijuana. "As the court knows, this is not a medical marijuana case. That term doesn't ever apply to cases of this scope," Wong charged. "Mr. Bryan Epis grew and distributed large amounts of marijuana even before the law changed in California," he added, although Epis was never charged with that.

Attorney John Balazs, who represented Epis, asked that he be given a surrender date so that he could explore other means of overturning the conviction and sentence. But US District Court Judge Frank Damrell was having none of it. "It's over, Mr. Epis."

Epis was then taken to a holding cell as his girlfriend and daughter wept. If nothing happens to change things, he won't be free again until around 2017.

Last year, the US Justice Department made it department policy not to persecute medical marijuana providers in compliance with state law. But it has yet to stop the prosecutions of medical marijuana providers arrested before then or move to provide relief for those imprisoned after being convicted under Clinton and Bush-era policies.
Free Bryan Epis and return him to his family. he has a kid to raise.

FREE MARC EMERY
Canadian cannabis activist, business owner and philanthropist, Marc Emery, was prosecuted by the United States Government for selling seeds across the United States border via mail order. Marc Emery was extradited from Canada to Seattle, Washington, to enter a plea. Emery is serving a 5 year sentence in a federal prison, after accepting a pre-arranged plea bargain in order to reduce the sentences of his two co-defendants.

We need to oppose the political persecution of our Canadian brother, Marc Emery, and let our government and the Canadian government know that nobody should go to prison for pot.

Go to: http://www.noextradition.net for more info on Marc Emery.

Canadian Marc Emery had been fighting extradition to the USA and possible life imprisonment since July 2005. In March 2008, the Canadian Government decided to turn down a unique type of plea deal the USA and Marc Emery's lawyer had arranged -- one that required Canadian charges to be laid and the incarceration be in Canada.

In July 2009, Marc's co-accused, Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams, were sentenced to 2 years probation in Canada. In early September 2009, Marc Emery decided to sign a plea deal for a 5-year sentence in the US federal prison system.

No prison for pot. Free Marc Emery.

Help Save Canadian Activist and Hero, Marc Emery!
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/articles/4639.html

FACTS ABOUT MARC EMERY (Compiled and written by Cannabis Culture Magazine and reprinted with permission):

DOWNLOAD Marc Emery Fact sheet

• Marc Emery is a Canadian citizen who never went to the USA as a seed seller.

• Marc Emery operated his seed business in Canada at all times, with no American branches or employees.

• Marc Emery declared his income from marijuana seed sales on his income tax, and paid over $580,000 to the Federal and Provincial governments from 1999 to 2005.

• Marc Emery is the leader of the British Columbia Marijuana Party, a registered political party that has regularly participated in elections.

• Marc Emery has never been arrested or convicted of manufacturing or distributing marijuana in Canada, as he only sold seeds.

• Marc Emery gave away all of the profits from his seed business to drug law reform lobbyists, political parties, global protests and rallies, court litigation, medical marijuana initiatives, drug rehabilitation clinics, and other legitimate legal activities and organizations.

• Marc Emery helped found the United States Marijuana Party, state-level political parties, and international political parties in countries such as Israel and New Zealand.

• Marc Emery has been known as a book seller and activist in Canada for 30 years, fighting against censorship laws and other social issues long before he became a drug law reform activist.

• Marc Emery has been a media figure for 20 years with regards to marijuana and drug law reform. He is very well-known to Canadian, American and international news media organizations.

• Marc Emery operated his business in full transparency and honesty since its inception in 1994, even sending his marijuana seed catalogue inside his magazine "Cannabis Culture" to each Member of Parliament in Canada every two months for years.

• The US Drug Enforcement Administration admitted in a press release from Administrator Karen Tandy that his July 29th, 2005 arrest was based on drug legalization efforts -- a copy of the document can be viewed at http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4685.html --