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["Emery has been active in pushing for marijuana legalization. He has run for mayor of Vancouver and his marijuana party's slogan is "overgrowing the government.""]

There went the loserdopian argument that legalization is the last thing that drug dealers would want.

Not at all. You're entirely missing the point. Legalization is the last thing the *illegal dealers* want (i.e. the drug cartels, organized crime, Joe the local pusher, etc.), because if Walgreens or liquor stores could carry pot legally, customers would buy from there, and not risk getting their pot from the illegal sources. (How many people do you know who still buy their booze from illegal bootleggers?)

That's still true, and it's hardly invalidated by the fact that an activist has chosen to sell seeds in order to challenge the laws. He's not doing it for the money, like the drug cartels are, he's doing it because ultimately he wants to be a (legal) *consumer*, not a dealer.

"because if Walgreens or liquor stores could carry pot legally, customers would buy from there, and not risk getting their pot from the illegal sources."

Currently, 30% of pot smokers are under 21. With legalization, that percentage could increase to 50% (as the University of Alaska study showed).

Now, with half the marijuana market being illegal, there's plenty of incentive to maintain "illegal dealers". AND, they'd be much harder to catch, in that it would be perfectly legal for the dealers to own, carry, or grow pot -- you'd have to catch them actually selling to kids.

This is not a problem with tobacco or alcohol since a small percentage of users are underage (it's 6% for tobacco, not sure about alcohol).

Marc Emery is one of todays most valiant freedom fighters. I wish that I may someday take the stand he has in defending liberty. I'm not one of his pothead minions...don't use the stuff. The DEA is not on the top of the list of my concerns. I am concerned with the right to keep and bear arms and the BATF is right up ther with the DEA.

This is about freedom..."FREEDOM" Do not ever forget, if we lose this freedom it will be because we let our neighbors lose theirs.

Lurker

"That's still true, and it's hardly invalidated by the fact that an activist has chosen to sell seeds in order to challenge the laws. He's not doing it for the money, like the drug cartels are, he's doing it because ultimately he wants to be a (legal) *consumer*, not a dealer."

I don't think Marc Emery is that noble. He wants very much to get rich in the marijuana industry. I don't doubt that he does believe it ought to be legal. So do I. But this guy is clearly also in it for the money.

By the way, he has a bad name as a seed merchant. Look around on the net and you'll see some people talking about him as a hero and others who have bought crappy seeds from him or sent money to his company only to get nothing in return talking about what a crook he is.