Marc and Jodie Emery must each pay a $150,000 fine, a $45,000 victim surcharge and spend two years on probation for the “crime” of selling cannabis.
Christopher Goodwin, Erin Goodwin, and Britney Guerra also pleaded guilty.
Where’s the justice? Who’s the victim? The impossibly vague “public?”
Judges are supposed to be impartial. But Justice Leslie Chapin reasoning goes like this:
Drug decriminalization is noble, but many of the actions taken in the name of drug decriminalization are not.
Since the Cannabis Culture franchise profited handsomely while also promoting falsehoods about the medicinal aspect of cannabis, they breached the peace by lying and made millions.
Like con artists.
Note, the cognitive bias of the Justice: cannabis is not medicine and profit harms.
Is whiskey for a sore throat medicinal? What about a therapeutic glass of wine after work?
Who defines what is medicinal? A DIN code from Health Canada, a federal bureaucracy? Has it really come to this?
Plenty of research shows medicinal properties of cannabis.
Cannabis improves lung health, it helps control epileptic seizures, prevents cancer from spreading, slows Alzheimer’s disease, eases the pain of multiple sclerosis, it is an anti-inflammatory, relieves pain, it’s good for your metabolism, and is a solid treatment for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
It also protects the brain from injuries, strengthens bones. The hemp seed is rich in healthy fats, protein, and minerals, including essential fatty acids like linoleic acid and plant-based omega-3 — and this is just scratching the surface.
Regarding justice for civil disobedience: “No doubt there were pro-social motivations that were behind the actions, but at the same time, I have to recognize that much profit was made,” for selling goods people legitimately want to buy in a free, open market.
Is there something inherently wrong and dangerous about trading cannabis goods and services?
If a cannabis capitalist is misdirecting his funds to crime, is that not a problem of an individual funneling his wealth to crime? There is no causal connection to other cannabis entrepreneurs.
The hows and whys of buying, selling, or consuming cannabis are of no concern to the state — that’s legalization.
In some parts of British Columbia, that is more or less the case, except when it isn’t.
In Toronto and much of Canada, prohibition is enforced just as Justin Trudeau said it should be.
Meanwhile, fentanyl murders. Police resources are misallocated. Citizens are starved of law enforcement rooted in contractual agreements and patronage of competitive services.
Fortunately for the Emerys, they didn’t get life in prison, which is a testament to their work as activists.
Along with the Goodwins and Guerra, the Emerys pleaded guilty as part of a deal to free their team of seventeen employees of the charges.
But the facts remain: this Cannabis Culture group were criminalized by the same type of people now running the cannabis industry.
Former cops and politicians are signing up to write the rules and make millions.
Where’s the justice in profiting from what long-term cannabis crusaders have been, and continue to get, criminal records for?