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#1347363 - 09/16/07 05:08 AM
B.C. pot crusader white-hatted
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Newshawk Extraordinaire
Registered: 04/24/00
Posts: 8026
Loc: Shuswap BC
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Sunday, September 16, 2007
B.C. pot crusader white-hatted
Paula Beauchamp, Colette Derworitz,
Calgary Herald
"Prince of Pot" Marc Emery signs a shirt for Ellie Cox outside City Hall during Saturday's protest.
Mikael Kjellstrom, Calgary Herald
Canada's "Prince of Pot" has joined the ranks of Dolly Parton, Prince Philip and Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean.
Arriving at the Calgary airport for a two-day visit Saturday, Canada's best-known marijuana activist, Marc Emery, was white-hatted by the Calgary airport's official White Hat Volunteers.
"I'm the Prince of Pot," he said.
"That's a royalty, a monarchy of sorts, so I guess it fits."
Saturday's warm welcome, arranged by Emery's supporters, comes in stark contrast to his visit to Calgary in 2003 when Emery was arrested for marijuana possession.
Emery is in Calgary to show his support for medical marijuana crusader Grant Krieger, and to raise both awareness of his extradition proceedings and money for looming court battles.
Emery has been arrested 22 times on marijuana-related offences, and jailed 17 times.
He now faces a U.S. extradition hearing on Nov. 5. for selling thousands of marijuana seeds to Americans through his Internet business.
Emery's business partners, Gregory Keith Williams and Michelle Rainey-Fenkarek, were also charged.
About 40 people gathered to hear Emery speak at a No Extradition for the BC3 rally at City Hall on Saturday.
"We are hunted down like dogs, like animals," he said. "Why should someone like Grant Krieger, who wants to see sick and dying people get marijuana, go to jail?"
Krieger, who has multiple sclerosis, is out on bail after he was convicted of drug trafficking in March. The Calgary man had sent two packages of marijuana to people with similar afflictions in Manitoba.
On Saturday, Krieger said he was surprised but pleased that the airport had given Emery a white hat welcome.
"He truly deserves that hat. He is a freedom fighter," Krieger said.
Airport spokeswoman Jody Moseley said the airport does not have a policy governing who can receive a white hat welcome. "It has not been necessary to date," she said.
Mayor Dave Bronconnier said anyone could be white-hatted by any Calgarian if they go out and buy the hat.
But he added, "Just because white hats are available . . . doesn't mean everyone should get one."
Ald. Ric McIver said the airport authority should be careful about who is publicly recognized so as not to devalue the symbol, but said he did not know enough about Emery to comment.
Lorn Sheehan, chairman of the board of directors of Calgary Tourism, said Calgary should show hospitality to a broad range of people.
"If you white-hat absolutely terrible people, it could devalue (the practice)," he said.
"But if this man is walking the streets, he can't be that terrible."
Author: pbeauchamp@theherald.canwest.com
Contact: letters@theherald.canwest.com
Contact: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html
calgaryherald
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Article also published in the following;
White hat for 'Prince of Pot'
Source: The Province
Contact: provletters@png.canwest.com
Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_________________________
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#1347392 - 09/16/07 07:46 AM
Re: B.C. pot crusader white-hatted
[Re: puff_tuff]
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Stoner
Registered: 05/19/06
Posts: 482
Loc: Over the hills and far away...
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Awesome story! Great job Marc, Jodie and Grant!!! 
_________________________
"As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot." - John Lennon MODLR - Mothers Organized for Drug Law Reform. Join the Council of Canadians today! http://www.canadians.org
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#1347530 - 09/16/07 09:53 PM
Re: B.C. pot crusader white-hatted
[Re: KanMan]
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Mrs. Marc Emery
Registered: 12/04/01
Posts: 8904
Loc: Vancouver BC
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We had the most amazing whirlwind 2-day visit in Calgary! If you saw the schedule in the "Upcoming Events" forum section, you'll see what I mean! Keith (KanMan) and Debbie were the most gracious, generous, helpful and passionate activists and hosts! They organized everything and kept us moving along, never needing anything -- no cabs, no food stops, no worries! Everything was taken care of, and everyone who came out was SO kind and supportive and generous too. We got to see fans and activist friends (i.e. people we know online but hadn't yet met) and toured four hemp stores: Bongs N' Such (the location that was raided but now nicely recovered, and as a store, Bongs n' Such have helped raise the most money for the BC3 defense, hands down, along with...) The Next Level (Frank and employees were just incredible, it's a beautiful location, and the equal to Bongs n' Such in donations collected by the store for the BC3); we also got to see Hemp Roots (a wonderful shop run by the kindest gentleman, it's nine months old and moving along very well, supportive of the BC3!) and Hemporium (run by Tim, started long, long ago when Marc opened Hemp BC, a very big supporters of Cannabis Culture Magazine and the BC3).
We received generous gifts and donations from fans, activists, store owners, the raffle fundraiser (with tons of fantastic prizes from the stores), and KDK distribution, run by Kelly, a generous man who's been a long-time supporter. He sold shirts to fans at every stop for Marc and I to sign (we signed so many!) which resulted in more donation money being raised.
The kindness and generosity of Calgary's people, and the other Alberta folks who came out for this weekend event, was so heartwarming and encouraging! The White Hat welcome was so much fun. Marc and I saw about twenty people waiting for us at the baggage claim in Calgary's airport: the fans who could make it out, including huge supporters and organizers Keith and his wife Debbie, Grant Kreiger, Kelly Christie and Ellie Cox, along with a red-and-white cowboy/girl clad group of friendly volunteers from the Calgary Airport Authority. (Plus the CanWest news reporter.) The volunteers put white cowboy hats on Marc and me (which we used all weekend, as the sun was shining bright and it was very warm!), and made us hold up our right hands and repeat:
"I, Marc/Jodie Emery,
Havin' just arrived
In the only genuine cowtown in Canada,
Namely CALGARY,
And will be duly exposed
To exceptional amounts
of Heart Warmin'
Tongue Loosenin'
Back Slappin'
Western Spirit
Do solemnly promise
To spread this here brand
of Western Hospitality
To all folks and critters
Who cross my trail hereafter.
YAHOO!"
And with that we received certificates from Tourism Calgary that read:
"HONORARY CALGARIAN
This Certificate Entitles
Marc/Jodie Emery
To enjoy a truly Western experience in Calgary
Now an Honorary Calgarian,
The recipient has understood and made a promise
to extend this special brand of Western Hospitality
To everyone from this day forward." (Signed by Chief White Hatter and Deputy White Hatter)
So with that fantastic beginning, we were off for a jam-packed two days of fun and meeting people! Thank you to Keith and Debbie for organizing the White Hat welcome, which has now appeared in newspapers across the country and raised a little wee bit of controversy! Oh, and the photo used in The Province here is a different one -- still of Marc signing Ellie's shirt, but with Deb in her No Extradition shirt in the frame, and the "Cannabis Action! http://www.Calgary420.ca" rally sign with a "Freedom Of Speech, Freedom From Fear" sign too.
It was such a busy but extremely fun time! We had a blast meeting forum/Facebook people, the stores were all welcoming and supportive, the buffet brunch at Smuggler's Inn was great, and the people we met were all so sweet and supportive too!
Oh, and even though we're Canucks fans, Marc and I will one day return to cheer on the Calgary Flames hockey team -- we should, we're honorary Calgarians!! 
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