{{taxobox |image = Cannabis sativa Koehler drawing.jpg |image_caption = Common hemp |status = LC |status_system = IUCN3.1 |regnum = Plantae |unranked_divisio = Angiosperms |unranked_classis = Eudicots |unranked_ordo = Rosids |ordo = Rosales |familia = Cannabaceae |genus = ''Cannabis'' |genus_authority = L. |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = ''Cannabis sativa'' L. ''Cannabis indica'' Lam. (putative) ''Cannabis ruderalis'' Janisch. (putative) |}} ''Cannabis'' (''Cán-na-bis''; ) is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative varieties, ''Cannabis sativa'', ''Cannabis indica'', and ''Cannabis ruderalis''. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. ''Cannabis'' has long been used for fibre (hemp), for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from ''Cannabis'' plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber. To satisfy the UN Narcotics Convention, some hemp varieties have been developed which contain minimal levels of THC (Δ⁹- tetrahydrocannabinol), one of the psychoactive molecules that produces the "high" associated with marijuana. The psychoactive product consists of dried flowers of plants selectively bred to produce high levels of THC and other psychoactive chemicals. Various extracts including hashish and hash oil are also produced from the plant.

Etymology

The word ''cannabis'' is from Greek ('''') (see Latin ''''), which was originally Scythian or Thracian. It is related to the Persian ''kanab'', the English ''canvas'' and possibly even to the English ''hemp'' (Old English ). In modern Hebrew, '''' modern pronunciation: is used but '''' modern pronunciation: (smoke bringer) is the ancient term. Old Akkadian ''qunnabtu'', Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian ''qunnabu'' were used to refer to the plant meaning "a way to produce smoke."

Description

''Cannabis'' is an annual, dioecious, flowering herb. The leaves are palmately compound or digitate, with serrate leaflets. The first pair of leaves usually have a single leaflet, the number gradually increasing up to a maximum of about thirteen leaflets per leaf (usually seven or nine), depending on variety and growing conditions. At the top of a flowering plant, this number again diminishes to a single leaflet per leaf. The lower leaf pairs usually occur in an opposite leaf arrangement and the upper leaf pairs in an alternate arrangement on the main stem of a mature plant.

thumb|Underside of ''Cannabis sativa'' leaf, showing diagnostic venationThe leaves have a peculiar and diagnostic venation pattern that enables persons poorly familiar with the plant to distinguish a ''Cannabis'' leaf from unrelated species that have confusingly similar leaves (see illustration). As is common in serrated leaves, each serration has a central vein extending to its tip. However,the serration vein originates from lower down the central vein of the leaflet, typically opposite to the position of, not the first notch down, but the next notch. This means that on its way from the midrib of the leaflet to the point of the serration, the vein serving the tip of the serration passes close by the intervening notch. Sometimes the vein will actually pass tangent to the notch, but often it will pass by at a small distance, and when that happens a spur vein (occasionally a pair of such spur veins) branches off and joins the leaf margin at the deepest point of the notch. This venation pattern varies slightly among varieties, but in general it enables one to tell ''Cannabis'' leaves from superficially similar leaves without difficulty and without special equipment. Tiny samples of ''Cannabis'' plants also can be identified with precision by microscopic examination of leaf cells and similar features, but that requires special expertise and equipment.

''Cannabis'' normally has imperfect flowers, with staminate "male" and pistillate "female" flowers occurring on separate plants. It is not unusual, however, for individual plants to bear both male and female flowers. Although monoecious plants are often referred to as "hermaphrodites," true hermaphrodites (which are less common) bear staminate and pistillate structures on individual flowers, whereas monoecious plants bear male and female flowers at different locations on the same plant. Male flowers are normally borne on loose panicles, and female flowers are borne on racemes. "At a very early period the Chinese recognized the ''Cannabis'' plant as dioecious," and the (ca. 3rd century BCE) ''Erya'' dictionary defined ''xi'' 枲 "male ''Cannabis''" and ''fu'' 莩 (or ''ju'' 苴) "female ''Cannabis''".

thumb|left|220px|''Cannabis'' is growing like weeds at the foot of Dhaulagiri.All known strains of ''Cannabis'' are wind-pollinated and produce "seeds" that are technically achenes. Most strains of ''Cannabis'' are short day plants, with the possible exception of ''C. sativa'' subsp. ''sativa'' var. ''spontanea'' (= ''C. ruderalis''), which is commonly described as "auto-flowering" and may be day-neutral.

''Cannabis'', like many organisms, is diploid, having a chromosome complement of 2n=20, although polyploid individuals have been artificially produced. The first genome sequence of ''Cannabis'', which is estimated to be 820 Mb in size, was published in 2011 by a team of Canadian scientists. The plant is believed to have originated in the mountainous regions northwest of the Himalayas. It is also known as hemp, although this term is often used to refer only to varieties of ''Cannabis'' cultivated for non-drug use. ''Cannabis'' plants produce a group of chemicals called cannabinoids, which produce mental and physical effects when consumed.

Cannabinoids, terpenoids, and other compounds are secreted by glandular trichomes that occur most abundantly on the floral calyxes and bracts of female plants. As a drug it usually comes in the form of dried flower buds (marijuana), resin (hashish), or various extracts collectively known as hashish oil. In the early 20th century, it became illegal in most of the world to cultivate or possess ''Cannabis'' for sale or personal use.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Cannabis'' was formerly placed in the Nettle (Urticaceae) or Mulberry (Moraceae) family, and later, along with the ''Humulus'' genus (hops), in a separate family, the Hemp family (Cannabaceae sensu stricto). Recent phylogenetic studies based on cpDNA restriction site analysis and gene sequencing strongly suggest that the Cannabaceae sensu stricto arose from within the former Celtidaceae family, and that the two families should be merged to form a single monophyletic family, the Cannabaceae sensu lato.

Various types of ''Cannabis'' have been described, and variously classified as species, subspecies, or varieties:

plants cultivated for fiber and seed production, described as low-intoxicant, non-drug, or fiber types.

plants cultivated for drug production, described as high-intoxicant or drug types.

escaped, hybridised, or wild forms of either of the above types.

''Cannabis'' plants produce a unique family of terpeno-phenolic compounds called cannabinoids, which produce the "high" one experiences from smoking marijuana. The two cannabinoids usually produced in greatest abundance are cannabidiol (CBD) and/or Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but only THC is psychoactive. Since the early 1970s, ''Cannabis'' plants have been categorized by their chemical phenotype or "chemotype," based on the overall amount of THC produced, and on the ratio of THC to CBD. Although overall cannabinoid production is influenced by environmental factors, the THC/CBD ratio is genetically determined and remains fixed throughout the life of a plant. Non-drug plants produce relatively low levels of THC and high levels of CBD, while drug plants produce high levels of THC and low levels of CBD. When plants of these two chemotypes cross-pollinate, the plants in the first filial (F₁) generation have an intermediate chemotype and produce similar amounts of CBD and THC. Female plants of this chemotype may produce enough THC to be utilized for drug production.

Whether the drug and non-drug, cultivated and wild types of ''Cannabis'' constitute a single, highly variable species, or the genus is polytypic with more than one species, has been a subject of debate for well over two centuries. This is a contentious issue because there is no universally accepted definition of a species. One widely applied criterion for species recognition is that species are "groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated from other such groups." Populations that are physiologically capable of interbreeding, but morphologically or genetically divergent and isolated by geography or ecology, are sometimes considered to be separate species. Physiological barriers to reproduction are not known to occur within ''Cannabis'', and plants from widely divergent sources are interfertile. However, physical barriers to gene exchange (such as the Himalayan mountain range) might have enabled ''Cannabis'' gene pools to diverge before the onset of human intervention, resulting in speciation. It remains controversial whether sufficient morphological and genetic divergence occurs within the genus as a result of geographical or ecological isolation to justify recognition of more than one species.

Difference between Cannabis indica and sativa

A ''Cannabis sativa'' plant may have a CBD/THC ratio 4:-5 times that of ''Cannabis Indica''. Marijuana with relatively high ratios of CBD:THC is less likely to induce anxiety than vice versa. This might partially be due to CBD's antagonist effects at the cannabinoid receptor, compared to THC's partial agonist effect. The relatively large amount of CBD contained in Cannabis Sativa, means, compared to an Indica, the effects are modulated significantly. The effects of Sativa are well known for its cerebral high, hence used daytime as medical cannabis, while Indica are well known for its sedative effects and preferred night time as medical cannabis.

Early classifications

The ''Cannabis'' genus was first classified using the "modern" system of taxonomic nomenclature by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753, who devised the system still in use for the naming of species. He considered the genus to be monotypic, having just a single species that he named ''Cannabis sativa'' L. (L. stands for Linnaeus, and indicates the authority who first named the species). Linnaeus was familiar with European hemp, which was widely cultivated at the time. In 1785, noted evolutionary biologist Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck published a description of a second species of ''Cannabis'', which he named ''Cannabis indica'' Lam. Lamarck based his description of the newly named species on plant specimens collected in India. He described ''C. indica'' as having poorer fiber quality than ''C. sativa'', but greater utility as an inebriant. Additional ''Cannabis'' species were proposed in the 19th century, including strains from China and Vietnam (Indo-China) assigned the names ''Cannabis chinensis'' Delile, and ''Cannabis gigantea'' Delile ex Vilmorin. However, many taxonomists found these putative species difficult to distinguish. In the early 20th century, the single-species concept was still widely accepted, except in the Soviet Union where ''Cannabis'' continued to be the subject of active taxonomic study. The name ''Cannabis indica'' was listed in various Pharmacopoeias, and was widely used to designate ''Cannabis'' suitable for the manufacture of medicinal preparations.

20th century

In 1924, Russian botanist D.E. Janichevsky concluded that ruderal ''Cannabis'' in central Russia is either a variety of ''C. sativa'' or a separate species, and proposed ''C. sativa'' L. var. ''ruderalis'' Janisch. and ''Cannabis ruderalis'' Janisch. as alternative names. In 1929, renowned plant explorer Nikolai Vavilov assigned wild or feral populations of ''Cannabis'' in Afghanistan to ''C. indica'' Lam. var. ''kafiristanica'' Vav., and ruderal populations in Europe to ''C. sativa'' L. var. ''spontanea'' Vav. In 1940, Russian botanists Serebriakova and Sizov proposed a complex classification in which they also recognized ''C. sativa'' and ''C. indica'' as separate species. Within ''C. sativa'' they recognized two subspecies: ''C. sativa'' L. subsp. ''culta'' Serebr. (consisting of cultivated plants), and ''C. sativa'' L. subsp. ''spontanea'' (Vav.) Serebr. (consisting of wild or feral plants). Serebriakova and Sizov split the two ''C. sativa'' subspecies into 13 varieties, including four distinct groups within subspecies ''culta''. However, they did not divide ''C. indica'' into subspecies or varieties. This excessive splitting of ''C. sativa'' proved too unwieldy, and never gained many adherents.

In the 1970s, the taxonomic classification of ''Cannabis'' took on added significance in North America. Laws prohibiting ''Cannabis'' in the United States and Canada specifically named products of ''C. sativa'' as prohibited materials. Enterprising attorneys for the defense in a few drug busts argued that the seized ''Cannabis'' material may not have been ''C. sativa'', and was therefore not prohibited by law. Attorneys on both sides recruited botanists to provide expert testimony. Among those testifying for the prosecution was Dr. Ernest Small, while Dr. Richard E. Schultes and others testified for the defense. The botanists engaged in heated debate (outside of court), and both camps impugned the other's integrity. The defense attorneys were not often successful in winning their case, because the intent of the law was clear.

In 1976, Canadian botanist Ernest Small and American taxonomist Arthur Cronquist published a taxonomic revision that recognizes a single species of ''Cannabis'' with two subspecies: ''C. sativa'' L. subsp. ''sativa'', and ''C. sativa'' L. subsp. ''indica'' (Lam.) Small & Cronq. The authors hypothesized that the two subspecies diverged primarily as a result of human selection; ''C. sativa'' subsp. ''sativa'' was presumably selected for traits that enhance fiber or seed production, whereas ''C. sativa'' subsp. ''indica'' was primarily selected for drug production. Within these two subspecies, Small and Cronquist described ''C. sativa'' L. subsp. ''sativa'' var. ''spontanea'' Vav. as a wild or escaped variety of low-intoxicant ''Cannabis'', and ''C. sativa'' subsp. ''indica'' var. ''kafiristanica'' (Vav.) Small & Cronq. as a wild or escaped variety of the high-intoxicant type. This classification was based on several factors including interfertility, chromosome uniformity, chemotype, and numerical analysis of phenotypic characters.

Professors William Emboden, Loran Anderson, and Harvard botanist Richard E. Schultes and coworkers also conducted taxonomic studies of ''Cannabis'' in the 1970s, and concluded that stable morphological differences exist that support recognition of at least three species, ''C. sativa'', ''C. indica'', and ''C. ruderalis.'' For Schultes, this was a reversal of his previous interpretation that ''Cannabis'' is monotypic, with only a single species. According to Schultes' and Anderson's descriptions, ''C. sativa'' is tall and laxly branched with relatively narrow leaflets, ''C. indica'' is shorter, conical in shape, and has relatively wide leaflets, and ''C. ruderalis'' is short, branchless, and grows wild in central Asia. This taxonomic interpretation was embraced by ''Cannabis'' aficionados who commonly distinguish narrow-leafed "sativa" drug strains from wide-leafed "indica" drug strains.

Continuing research

Molecular analytical techniques developed in the late 20th century are being applied to questions of taxonomic classification. This has resulted in many reclassifications based on evolutionary systematics. Several studies of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and other types of genetic markers have been conducted on drug and fiber strains of ''Cannabis'', primarily for plant breeding and forensic purposes. Dutch ''Cannabis'' researcher E.P.M. de Meijer and coworkers described some of their RAPD studies as showing an "extremely high" degree of genetic polymorphism between and within populations, suggesting a high degree of potential variation for selection, even in heavily selected hemp cultivars. They also commented that these analyses confirm the continuity of the ''Cannabis'' gene pool throughout the studied accessions, and provide further confirmation that the genus comprises a single species, although theirs was not a systematic study ''per se''.

Karl W. Hillig, a graduate student in the laboratory of long-time ''Cannabis'' researcher Paul G. Mahlberg at Indiana University, conducted a systematic investigation of genetic, morphological, and chemotaxonomic variation among 157 ''Cannabis'' accessions of known geographic origin, including fiber, drug, and feral populations. In 2004, Hillig and Mahlberg published a chemotaxomic analysis of cannabinoid variation in their ''Cannabis'' germplasm collection. They used gas chromatography to determine cannabinoid content and to infer allele frequencies of the gene that controls CBD and THC production within the studied populations, and concluded that the patterns of cannabinoid variation support recognition of ''C. sativa'' and ''C. indica'' as separate species, but not ''C. ruderalis.'' The authors assigned fiber/seed landraces and feral populations from Europe, central Asia, and Asia Minor to ''C. sativa''. Narrow-leaflet and wide-leaflet drug accessions, southern and eastern Asian hemp accessions, and feral Himalayan populations were assigned to ''C. indica''. In 2005, Hillig published a genetic analysis of the same set of accessions (this paper was the first in the series, but was delayed in publication), and proposed a three-species classification, recognizing ''C. sativa'', ''C. indica'', and (tentatively) ''C. ruderalis''. In his doctoral dissertation published the same year, Hillig stated that principal components analysis of phenotypic (morphological) traits failed to differentiate the putative species, but that canonical variates analysis resulted in a high degree of discrimination of the putative species and infraspecific taxa. Another paper in the series on chemotaxonomic variation in the terpenoid content of the essential oil of ''Cannabis'' revealed that several wide-leaflet drug strains in the collection had relatively high levels of certain sesquiterpene alcohols, including guaiol and isomers of eudesmol, that set them apart from the other putative taxa. Hillig concluded that the patterns of genetic, morphological, and chemotaxonomic variation support recognition of ''C. sativa'' and ''C. indica'' as separate species. He also concluded there is little support to treat ''C. ruderalis'' as a separate species from ''C. sativa'' at this time, but more research on wild and weedy populations is needed because they were underrepresented in their collection.

In September 2005, New Scientist reported that researchers at the Canberra Institute of Technology had identified a new type of ''Cannabis'' based on analysis of mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA. The New Scientist story, which was picked up by many news agencies and web sites, indicated that the research was to be published in the journal ''Forensic Science International''.

Popular usage

The scientific debate regarding taxonomy has had little effect on the terminology in widespread use among cultivators and users of drug-type ''Cannabis''. ''Cannabis'' aficionados recognize three distinct types based on such factors as morphology, native range, aroma, and subjective psychoactive characteristics. "Sativa" is the term used to describe the most widespread variety, which is usually tall, laxly branched, and found in warm lowland regions. "Indica" is used to designate shorter, bushier plants adapted to cooler climates and highland environments. "Ruderalis" is the term used to describe the short plants that grow wild in Europe and central Asia.

Breeders, seed companies, and cultivators of drug type ''Cannabis'' often describe the ancestry or gross phenotypic characteristics of cultivars by categorizing them as "pure indica," "mostly indica," "indica/sativa," "mostly sativa", or "pure sativa."

One of the most popular and potent sativas in Africa is Malawi Gold, locally known as ''chamba''. It is internationally known for its potency and its flavor.

Reproduction

Breeding systems

''Cannabis'' is predominantly dioecious, although many monoecious varieties have been described. Subdioecy (the occurrence of monoecious individuals and dioecious individuals within the same population) is widespread. Many populations have been described as sexually labile.

As a result of intensive selection in cultivation, ''Cannabis'' exhibits many sexual phenotypes that can be described in terms of the ratio of female to male flowers occurring in the individual, or typical in the cultivar. Dioecious varieties are preferred for drug production, where typically the female flowers are used. Dioecious varieties are also preferred for textile fiber production, whereas monoecious varieties are preferred for pulp and paper production. It has been suggested that the presence of monoecy can be used to differentiate licit crops of monoecious hemp from illicit drug crops. However, the so-called "sativa" drug strains often produce monoecious individuals, probably as a result of inbreeding.

Mechanisms of sex determination

''Cannabis'' has been described as having one of the most complicated mechanisms of sex determination among the dioecious plants. Many models have been proposed to explain sex determination in ''Cannabis''.

Based on studies of sex reversal in hemp, it was first reported by K. Hirata in 1924 that an XY sex-determination system is present. At the time, the XY system was the only known system of sex determination. The X:A system was first described in Drosophila spp in 1925. Soon thereafter, Schaffner disputed Hirata's interpretation, and published results from his own studies of sex reversal in hemp, concluding that an X:A system was in use and that furthermore sex was strongly influenced by environmental conditions.

Since then, many different types of sex determination systems have been discovered, particularly in plants. Dioecy is relatively uncommon in the plant kingdom, and a very low percentage of dioecious plant species have been determined to use the XY system. In most cases where the XY system is found it is believed to have evolved recently and independently.

Since the 1920s, a number of sex determination models have been proposed for ''Cannabis''. Ainsworth describes sex determination in the genus as using "an X/autosome dosage type".

The question of whether heteromorphic sex chromosomes are indeed present is most conveniently answered if such chromosomes were clearly visible in a karyotype. ''Cannabis'' was one of the first plant species to be karyotyped; however, this was in a period when karyotype preparation was primitive by modern standards (see History of Cytogenetics). Heteromorphic sex chromosomes were reported to occur in staminate individuals of dioecious "Kentucky" hemp, but were not found in pistillate individuals of the same variety. Dioecious "Kentucky" hemp was assumed to use an XY mechanism. Heterosomes were not observed in analyzed individuals of monoecious "Kentucky" hemp, nor in an unidentified German cultivar. These varieties were assumed to have sex chromosome composition XX. According to other researchers, no modern karyotype of ''Cannabis'' had been published as of 1996. Proponents of the XY system state that Y chromosome is slightly larger than the X, but difficult to differentiate cytologically.

More recently, Sakamoto and various co-authors have used RAPD to isolate several genetic marker sequences that they name Male-Associated DNA in ''Cannabis'' (MADC), and which they interpret as indirect evidence of a male chromosome. Several other research groups have reported identification of male-associated markers using RAPD and AFLP. Ainsworth commented on these findings, stating,

"It is not surprising that male-associated markers are relatively abundant. In dioecious plants where sex chromosomes have not been identified, markers for maleness indicate either the presence of sex chromosomes which have not been distinguished by cytological methods or that the marker is tightly linked to a gene involved in sex determination. "

Environmental sex determination is known to occur in a variety of species. Many researchers have suggested that sex in ''Cannabis'' is determined or strongly influenced by environmental factors. Ainsworth reviews that treatment with auxin and ethylene have feminizing effects, and that treatment with cytokinins and gibberellins have masculinizing effects. It has been reported that sex can be reversed in ''Cannabis'' using chemical treatment. A PCR-based method for the detection of female-associated DNA polymorphisms by genotyping has been developed.

Industrial and personal uses

''Cannabis'' is used for a wide variety of purposes.

Hemp

Hemp is the natural, durable soft fiber from the stalk of ''Cannabis'' sativa plants that grow upwards of 20 feet tall. Cannabis plants used for hemp production are not valued for recreational uses, as the plants that are cultivated for hemp produce minimal levels of the psychoactive compound THC. ''Cannabis'' plants intended for any drug cultivation is not so easy to hide in a hemp field either, as the size and height of each are significantly different.

Hemp producers sell hemp seeds as a health food, as they are rich in heart-healthy, essential fatty acids, amino acids (both essential and nonessential), vitamins and minerals. Hemp "milk" is a milk substitute also made from hemp seeds that is both dairy- and gluten-free.

Hemp is fairly easy to grow and matures very fast compared to many crops; the growth is however in no way exceptional. Compared to cotton for clothing, hemp cloth is known to be of superior strength and longer-lasting. The fibers may also be used to form cordage for industrial-strength ropes. Hemp plants also require little pesticides and herbicides because of their height, density and foliage. This also makes the hemp plant environmentally very friendly (with the exception of the chemical fertilizers used in industrial agriculture). The world leading producer of hemp is China.

Hemp can be utilized for 25,000 very durable textile products, ranging from paper and clothing to biofuels (from the oils found in the seeds), medicines and construction material. Hemp has been used by many civilizations, from China to Europe (and later North America) for the last 12,000 years of history. In modern time with modest commercial success.

Recreational use

Cannabis is a popular recreational drug around the world, only behind alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. In the United States alone, it is believed that over 100 million Americans have tried Cannabis, with 25 million Americans having used it within the past year.

The psychoactive effects of Cannabis are known to have a biphasic nature. Primary psychoactive effects include a state of relaxation, and to a lesser degree, euphoria from its main psychoactive compound, tetrahydrocannabinol. Secondary psychoactive effects, such as a facility for philosophical thinking, introspection and metacognition have been reported amongst cases of anxiety and paranoia. Finally, the tertiary psychoactive effects of the drug cannabis, can include an increase in heart rate and hunger, believed to be caused by 11-Hydroxy-THC, a psychoactive metabolite of THC produced in the liver.

Normal cognition is restored after approximately three hours for larger doses via a smoking pipe, bong or vaporizer. However, if a large amount is taken orally the effects may last much longer. After 24 hours to a few days, minuscule psychoactive effects may be felt, depending on dosage, frequency and tolerance to the drug.

Various forms of the drug cannabis exist, including extracts such as hashish and hash oil which, because of appearance, are more susceptible to adulterants when left unregulated.

The plant ''Cannabis sativa'' is known to cause more of a "high" by stimulating hunger and by producing a rather more comedic, or energetic feeling. Conversely, the ''Cannabis indica'' plant is known to cause more of a "stoned" or meditative feeling, possibly because of a higher CBD to THC ratio.

Cannabidiol (CBD), which has no psychotropic effects by itself (although sometimes showing a small stimulant effect, similar to caffeine), attenuates, or reduces the higher anxiety levels caused by THC alone.

According to the UK medical journal ''The Lancet'', Cannabis has a lower rate of dependence compared to both nicotine and alcohol. However, everyday use of Cannabis can in some cases be correlated with psychological withdrawal symptoms such as irritability and insomnia, and evidence could suggest that if a user experiences stress, the likeliness of getting a panic attack increases because of an increase of THC metabolites. However, Cannabis withdrawal symptoms are typically mild and are never life-threatening.

Medical use

A synthetic form of the main psychoactive cannabinoid in ''Cannabis'', Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is used as a treatment for a wide range of medical conditions.

In the United States, although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does acknowledge that "there has been considerable interest in its use for the treatment of a number of conditions, including glaucoma, AIDS wasting, neuropathic pain, treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, and chemotherapy-induced nausea," the agency has not approved "medical marijuana". There are currently 2 oral forms of cannabis (cannabinoids) available by prescription in the United States for nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy: dronabinol (Marinol) and nabilone (Cesamet). Dronabinol is also approved for the treatment of anorexia associated with AIDS. The FDA does facilitate scientific investigations into the medical uses of cannabinoids.

In a collection of writings on medical marijuana by 45 researchers, a literature review on the medicinal uses of ''Cannabis'' and cannabinoids concluded that established uses include easing of nausea and vomiting, anorexia, and weight loss; "well-confirmed effect" was found in the treatment of spasticity, painful conditions (i.e. neurogenic pain), movement disorders, asthma, and glaucoma. Reported but "less-confirmed" effects included treatment of allergies, inflammation, infection, epilepsy, depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety disorder, dependency and withdrawal. Basic level research was being carried out at the time on autoimmune disease, cancer, neuroprotection, fever, and disorders of blood pressure.

Clinical trials conducted by the American Marijuana Policy Project, have shown the efficacy of cannabis as a treatment for cancer and AIDS patients, who often suffer from clinical depression, and from nausea and resulting weight loss due to chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments. A synthetic version of the cannabinoid THC named dronabinol has been shown to relieve symptoms of anorexia and reduce agitation in elderly Alzheimer's patients. Dronabinol has been approved for use with anorexia in patients with HIV/AIDS and chemotherapy-related nausea. This drug, while demonstrating the effectiveness of ''Cannabis'' at combating several disorders, is more expensive and less available than whole cannabis and has not been shown to be effective or safe.

Glaucoma, a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball causing gradual loss of sight, can be treated with medical marijuana to decrease this intraocular pressure. There has been debate for 25 years on the subject. Some studies have shown a reduction of IOP in glaucoma patients who smoke cannabis, but the effects are generally short-lived. There exists some concern over its use since it can also decrease blood flow to the optic nerve. Marijuana lowers IOP by acting on a cannabinoid receptor on the ciliary body called the CB receptor. Although ''Cannabis'' may not be the best therapeutic choice for glaucoma patients, it may lead researchers to more effective treatments. A promising study shows that agents targeted to ocular CB receptors can reduce IOP in glaucoma patients who have failed other therapies.

Medical cannabis is also used for analgesia, or pain relief. It is also reported to be beneficial for treating certain neurological illnesses such as epilepsy, and bipolar disorder. Case reports have found that ''Cannabis'' can relieve tics in people with obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome. Patients treated with tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive chemical found in ''Cannabis'', reported a significant decrease in both motor and vocal tics, some of 50% or more. Some decrease in obsessive-compulsive behavior was also found. A recent study has also concluded that cannabinoids found in ''Cannabis'' might have the ability to prevent Alzheimer's disease. THC has been shown to reduce arterial blockages.

Another potential use for medical cannabis is movement disorders. ''Cannabis'' is frequently reported to reduce the muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis; this has been acknowledged by the Institute of Medicine, but it noted that these abundant anecdotal reports are not well-supported by clinical data. Evidence from animal studies suggests that there is a possible role for cannabinoids in the treatment of certain types of epileptic seizures. A synthetic version of the major active compound in ''Cannabis'', THC, is available in capsule form as the prescription drug dronabinol (Marinol) in many countries. The prescription drug Sativex, an extract of cannabis administered as a sublingual spray, has been approved in Canada for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Cannabis was manufactured and sold by U.S. pharmaceutical companies from the 1880s through the 1930s, but the lack of documented information on the frequency and effectiveness of its use makes it difficult to evaluate its medicinal value in these forms. Cannabis was listed in the ''1929–1930 Physicians' Catalog of the Pharmaceutical and Biological Products of Parke, Davis & Company'' as an active ingredient in ten products for cough, colic, neuralgia, cholera mordus and other medical conditions, as well as a "narcotic, analgesic, and sedative." The ''1929–1930 Physicians' Catalog'' also lists compound medications containing cannabis that in some cases were apparently formulated by medical doctors, in its "Pills and Tablets" section.

As cannabis is further legalized for medicinal use, it is possible that some of the foregoing compound medicines, whose formulas have been copied exactly as published, may be scientifically tested to determine whether they are effective medications. Writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, smoking cannabis from a pipe may significantly relieve chronic pain in patients with damaged nerves. A study on New Zealand support the claim that that long-term cannabis smoking increases the risk of lung cancer in young adults.

Cannabis sativa

Jack Herer, a sativa-dominant strain, is effective in relieving anxiety, nervousness, stress and depression. It is also viewed as a motivational medicine, stimulating energy, creativity and concentration.

Ancient and religious uses

The Yanghai Tombs, a vast ancient cemetery (54 000 m²) situated in the Turfan district of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, have revealed the 2700-year-old grave of a shaman. He is thought to have belonged to the Jushi culture recorded in the area centuries later in the ''Hanshu'', Chap 96B. Near the head and foot of the shaman was a large leather basket and wooden bowl filled with 789g of cannabis, superbly preserved by climatic and burial conditions. An international team demonstrated that this material contained tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of cannabis. The cannabis was presumably employed by this culture as a medicinal or psychoactive agent, or an aid to divination. This is the oldest documentation of cannabis as a pharmacologically active agent.

Settlements which date from ''c''. 2200-1700 BCE in the Bactria and Margiana contained elaborate ritual structures with rooms containing everything needed for making drinks containing extracts from poppy (opium), hemp (cannabis), and ephedra (which contains ephedrine).

"While we have no evidence of the use of ephedra among the steppe tribes, we have already seen that they did share in the cultic use of hemp, a practice that ranged from Romania east to the Yenisei River from at least the 3rd millenium BC onwards where its use was later encountered in the apparatus for smoking hemp found at Pazyryk."

''Cannabis'' is first referred to in Hindu Vedas between 2000 and 1400 BCE, in the ''Atharvaveda''. By the 10th century CE, it has been suggested that it was referred to by some in India as "food of the gods". Cannabis use eventually became a ritual part of the Hindu festival of Holi.

In Buddhism, cannabis is generally regarded as an intoxicant and therefore a hindrance to development of meditation and clear awareness. In ancient Germanic culture, ''Cannabis'' was associated with the Norse love goddess, Freya. An anointing oil mentioned in Exodus is, by some translators, said to contain ''Cannabis''. Sufis have used ''Cannabis'' in a spiritual context since the 13th century CE.

In the Punjab, Cannabis or Sukha ( ਸੁੱਖਾ ਪ੍ਰਰਸਾਦ ), "peace-giver", is the term Sikhs use to refer to it. Initiated by the tenth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, cannabis or bhang (ਭੰਗ) was used to help in meditation and was also used before battles to aid as a painkiller, growing naturally all over Punjab. Narrated by many historical and native accounts cannabis is pounded by the Sikhs, especially during religious festivals like Hola Mohalla.[43] Even today, Nihang Sikhs gather in their thousands at Anandpur, on the occasion of the festival of Hola Mohalla and display their martial skills and of course cannabis is pounded by the Nihang Sikhs. This tradition has been in place since the time of Guru Gobind Singh. Their fighting style is referred to as shastar vidiya, which is among the most intimidating and brutal martial art. The compositions from the Sri Dasam Granth are used in unison with the battle maneuvers.

In modern times the Rastafari movement has embraced ''Cannabis'' as a sacrament. Elders of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, a religious movement founded in the United States in 1975 with no ties to either Ethiopia or the Coptic Church, consider ''Cannabis'' to be the Eucharist, claiming it as an oral tradition from Ethiopia dating back to the time of Christ. Like the Rastafari, some modern Gnostic Christian sects have asserted that ''Cannabis'' is the Tree of Life. Other organized religions founded in the 20th century that treat ''Cannabis'' as a sacrament are the THC Ministry, the Way of Infinite Harmony, Cantheism, the Cannabis Assembly and the Church of Cognizance.

Rastafari and Sikh use tend to be among the biggest consumers of modern Cannabis use.

Aspects of ''cannabis'' production and use

Cannabis cultivation discusses aspects of cultivation for medicinal and recreational drug purposes.

Cannabis (drug) discusses its use as a recreational drug.

Health issues and the effects of cannabis discusses the pharmacology, physical, and mental effects of ''Cannabis'' when used as drug.

Hemp discusses its uses as a source of housing, oil, food, fibers, and industrial materials.

Legality of cannabis focuses on the law and enforcement aspects of growing, transporting, selling and using ''Cannabis'' as a drug.

* Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom.

* Cannabis rescheduling in the United States.

* Drug policy of the Netherlands.

Medical Cannabis discusses its use as a medication.

Spiritual use of cannabis discusses sacramental and religious use.

See also

Autoflowering cannabis

Cannabis cultivation

Cannabis (drug)

Cannabis in Australia

Cannabis Social Club

Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum

Legality of cannabis by country

Malawi Gold (Chamba)

Medical cannabis

Religious and spiritual use of cannabis

Cannabis drug testing

References

Further reading

Hulsewé, A. F. P. (1979). ''China in Central Asia: The Early Stage 125 BC – AD 23: an annotated translation of chapters 61 and 96 of the History of the Former Han Dynasty''. E. J. Brill, Leiden. ISBN 90-04-05884-2.

Mallory, J. P. and Victor H. Mair (2000). ''The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West''. Thames & Hudson, London. ISBN 0-500-05101-1.

External links

International Plant Names Index (IPNI)

The Endocannabinoid System Network (ECSN) - Contains medical information to the Endocannabinoid System

Erowid: Cannabis (Marijuana) Vault

''UNODC: World Drug Report 2006, Chapter 2: Cannabis: Why We Should Care'' (2006)

EMCDDA drugs profile: Cannabis (2007)

Category:Entheogens Category:Herbs Category:Medicinal plants Category:Psychoactive drugs Category:Euphoriants Category:Dioecious plants

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Marc Scott Emery (born February 13, 1958) is a Canadian cannabis policy reform advocate, a politician, and media publisher as well as a former cannabis seed seller. He is currently serving a five year sentence in a United States federal prison for selling cannabis seeds.

Recent judicial history

He is formerly a retailer of cannabis seeds for cultivation, having started Marc Emery Direct Marijuana Seeds in 1995, which he ran until it was closed by a raid by Vancouver police acting on the request of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on July 29, 2005.

US Government officials have described Emery as a drug dealer for his efforts to sell marijuana seeds in Canada and abroad. He was the publisher of ''Cannabis Culture'' magazine, a founding member of the Freedom Party of Ontario, the Marijuana Party of Canada and the BC Marijuana Party, founder of the Iboga Therapy House and founder of Pot TV. He ran for mayor of the city of Vancouver in 1996, 2002 and 2008.

Emery was taken into custody on September 28, 2009, and held at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam, BC, to await extradition to the USA. On November 18, 2009, Emery was released on bail, pending the Canadian Minister of Justice signing the extradition order; and on May 10, 2010, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson signed the order and ordered Emery to surrender to authorities, which he did that same day.

On May 10, 2010, Justice Minister Nicholson ruled Emery be extradited to the United States. He faces 5 years in the US penal system. The possibility exists Emery may be allowed to serve all or part of his sentence in Canada. US authorities have not rejected this option, should Canada make such a formal request.

On May 20, 2010, Emery was extradited to the United States. On May 24, he appeared in a Seattle courtroom and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.

On June 3, officials at the Federal Detention Center in SeaTac, Washington gave Emery an official citation for allowing his wife, BC Green Party Director-at-Large Jodie Emery, to record a message from him over the phone, claiming it broke the prison's rule forbidding third-party calls. Emery was locked in a Segregated Housing Unit (SHU) for three weeks.

On September 10, 2010 in a Seattle court room, Marc Emery was sentenced to 5 years in prison. US district court judge Ricardo Martinez sentenced Emery, stating there was no question his actions were criminal and that Emery ensured others broke the law by selling them the seeds. The court noted Emery claimed on his website to have made some $3 million a year from selling seeds from his Vancouver headquarters. Emery donated almost all of the money generated from his seed sales to marijuana policy reform efforts. Emery's claims that his arrest was political were disputed by the prosecution. On November 19, 2010 Marc Emery was transferred to the D. Ray James Correctional Facility in Folkston, GA. He has since been transferred to FCI Correctional Institution in Yazoo City, MS to serve the rest of his sentence.

Early career

At the age of 9 he started a business from his parents' home called Stamp Treasure, buying and selling stamps by mail order. Two years later he started another mail-order business called Marc's Comic Room.

He dropped out of high school in 1975 at age 17 to purchase a used book store on Richmond Street in downtown London, Ontario which he renamed City Lights Bookshop. Emery operated the store for 17 years, selling it in 1992.

Shortly after opening the store, Emery began a three-year fight against the London Downtown Business Association for extracting mandatory fees from all core area shops for beautification and other programs.

Emery also ran an emergency garbage service in London for three weeks during a municipal garbage strike in 1986.

He first became politically active with the Libertarian Party of Canada, and ran for the Canadian House of Commons under that party's banner in the 1980 federal election. He received 197 votes in London East, finishing fourth.

Emery later left the Libertarians and became a London-area organiser for the Unparty. In 1983 Robert Metz, who had worked with Emery since 1980, was made president of the Unparty and later that year announced the Unparty would change its name to the Freedom Party of Ontario, which continues to be a registered political party in the Province of Ontario. Emery served as the Freedom Party's Action Director from 1984 to 1990.

In 1984, Emery, the Freedom Party, and the No Tax for Pan-Am Games Committee (founded by Emery and Metz) successfully campaigned against London's bid for the 1991 Pan American Games, saying the city would lose millions.

Emery ran as a candidate of the Freedom Party in the rural constituency of Middlesex, near London, in the 1987 provincial election. He received 499 votes for a distant fifth-place finish.

In 1986 and 1987, Emery defied Ontario's Sunday shopping laws, finally facing eight charges after opening for eight Sundays in a row. In March 1988, he spent four days in jail after being convicted on the first of the charges and then refusing to pay the fine.

He also campaigned against London's by-law prohibiting sidewalk signs.

After resigning from the Freedom Party in 1990, Emery rented the London Regional Art & Historical Museum (now called Museum London) for his first pro-pot rally.

In 1991, Emery was convicted for selling copies of 2 Live Crew's rap CD As Nasty As They Wanna Be which had been deemed obscene and banned in Ontario. He was given one year probation, but immediately after sentencing he began selling marijuana-related literature and High Times Magazine, all in violation of Canadian law.

Emery invited local police to his store to arrest him, and even sold copies of the banned marijuana grow books right outside the London Ontario police station, but the police refused to charge him or interfere. He also sponsored visits from marijuana luminaries such as Ed Rosenthal, Steven Hager, Jack Herer and Paul Mavrides.

Much of this early period of Emery's life is featured in the 1992 documentary film ''Marc Emery: Messing Up the System'' scripted by London writers Chris Doty and Jason Rip., and a play called ''Citizen Marc: The Adventures of Marc Emery''. The play was directed by John Gerry which opened in London on January 27, 2006. Emery was in attendance for the premiere. Doty committed suicide in the days that followed. The play won the Brickenden Awards for Best Ballyhoo, Best Actor and Best Director.

Marijuana seed business

Emery moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in March 1994, and founded a store called Hemp BC on July 7. His store played a major part in expanding Canada's then very small and underground industry in cannabis-related paraphernalia. Bongs and pipes are illegal in Canada under section 462.2 of the Criminal Code, and were not readily available in Canada at the time. Emery imported and wholesaled a variety of bongs, pipes and other cannabis-related items, and encouraged other people to open their own "Hemp Stores" across Canada.

In late 1994, a court challenge sponsored by Emery convinced an Ontario judge to overturn the Canadian prohibition on marijuana and drug-related literature, making it legal for ''High Times Magazine'' and marijuana grow books to be sold in Canada once more.

Emery began selling marijuana seeds in late 1994, after attending the High Times Cannabis Cup and being inspired by a Dutch seed store named Sensi Seeds. In early 1995 he launched ''Cannabis Canada Magazine'', which was renamed ''Cannabis Culture Magazine'' in 1998.

In December 1995, Emery and his seed business were featured on the front page of the ''Wall Street Journal'', leading to a deluge of media attention. One month later, in January 1996, Hemp BC was raided by Vancouver police who seized Emery's bongs and seeds and charged him with selling marijuana seeds and "promoting vaporizers." He was later convicted and given a $2200 fine, $500 for each of four counts of selling marijuana seeds and $200 for vaporizer promotion.

Emery re-opened his store the next day, and continued to sell paraphernalia and marijuana seeds. By 1997 he had expanded his store to include a Grow Shop, a Legal Assistance Centre, and the Cannabis Cafe, which featured a custom-built vaporizer built into every table.

On October 12, 1997, Marc Emery was featured on ''CNN Impact'' in an episode called "Canada Cannabis." The announcer referred to Emery as the "Prince of Pot" and the label stuck. This drew major international media attention to Emery and his Hemp BC store once more.

The Vancouver police returned on December 16, 1997, once again emptying his store of seeds and paraphernalia, as well as taking the vaporizers out of the Cannabis Cafe. Police claimed to have seized about $1.6 million worth of marijuana-related merchandise, plus tens of thousands of marijuana seeds.

Emery was jailed but not charged with any seed or paraphernalia offences but he was charged and convicted of "assaulting a police officer" because he spat on a police officer while they were forcibly removing protestors from in front of the store. In a later interview, Emery stated "I was found guilty and fined two hundred dollars. My defence was that it was justifiable as they were assaulting my employees. We have video tape of them kicking, shoving objects at, using a truncheon, and pulling on the hair of David Malmo-Levine and Ian Roberts. I wanted to show my disgust in a non-violent way, and to draw the police toward me and away from my employees."

Emery was also banned from returning to the 300 block of West Hastings, where his businesses were located.

Emery re-opened Hemp BC the next day but then sold the store to his manager shortly thereafter, who suffered repeated raids during 1998 and then had her business license revoked by the city.

Emery's seed business was raided again at its office location on April 30, 1998, and Emery was charged with selling marijuana seeds. Another raid on September 2, 1998, saw Emery jailed overnight again and his seeds confiscated, but no charges were laid. He was convicted from the April raid in 1999, and given a $2000 fine.

In August 1998, Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen had told the ''New York Times'' that Hemp BC was "going to be toast by September."

Court documents showed that four American navy undercover agents attempted to buy marijuana and smoke it at the Cannabis Cafe. The documents showed the Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents worked in a joint operation with Vancouver police in April 1998.

Emery was convicted on charges of selling marijuana seeds in 1998, and received a $2000 fine. He switched his walk-in marijuana seed business to mail-order only, and continued to publish ''Cannabis Culture'' magazine. In early 2000 he was expanding again, with the establishment of Pot-TV, a marijuana-related video channel.

In 2001, Emery was a featured presenter at Idea City, an annual gathering of notable Canadians organized by Moses Znaimer.

In November 2002, then US Drug Czar John Walters visited Vancouver to give a speech at a luncheon sponsored by the Vancouver Board of Trade. Emery bought a table for himself and other local cannabis activists, and heckled Walters as he spoke about the need for Canada to embrace the "War on Drugs."

From 1998 until his arrest in 2005, Emery paid provincial and federal taxes as a "marijuana seed vendor" totalling nearly $600,000.

Emery has described himself as a "major financial backer of almost every pro-pot effort in North America and many more around the world." He claims that he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in election campaigning for the Canadian Marijuana Party, BC Marijuana Party and the Vancouver Marijuana Party. He also claims to have funded numerous marijuana activist groups, paid for several major legal challenges to aspects of Canada's cannabis laws, and made large donations to various pro-pot ballot initiatives in US states such as California, Nevada, Alaska and Arizona, plus financially backed pro-cannabis activities in New Zealand, Australia, Russia and elsewhere around the world.

Media and documentaries

Over his career, Emery has been covered in many newspaper articles and media appearances, including features in the front page of the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, CNN TV, and CNN Radio News, ABC News, the USA Today, the Hindustan Times of India the National Enquirer, Rolling Stone Magazine, CBC Newsworld, Forbes Magazine, Vancouver Magazine, 60 Minutes, the New York Times and more.

Emery is featured in the 2007 CBC documentary film "Prince of Pot: The US vs. Marc Emery", and CBC Doc Zone episode "Cannabiz." He also appears in the 2007 documentary "Living Luminaries: The Serious Business of Happiness", a 2007 documentary called The Union: The Business Behind Getting High, a 2005 documentary called "Escape to Canada" and the 2007 documentary "The Naked Queen".

Emery also appeared in the 2007 comedy documentary "Super High Me" and was featured in a December 2008 episode of National Geographic Explorer called Marijuana Nation, and two National Geographic specials in 2009, one called "Inside Marijuana", the other called "Super Weed".

Emery's earlier career is featured in the 1992 documentary "Marc Emery: Messing up the System".

Emery's history of political activism, both before and since his involvement in the cannabis prohibition issue, was the subject of the in-depth documentary "The Principle of Pot", which was released in 2010.

Marijuana political parties

In 2000 he was a founding member of the Marijuana Party of Canada, a political party running to fully legalize (not just decriminalize) cannabis. In 2001 he helped found the British Columbia Marijuana Party (BCMP), which he currently leads.

Emery ran for the Canadian House of Commons as a Marijuana Party Candidate in the 2000 federal election, and finished sixth out of ten candidates in Vancouver Centre with 1,116 votes. Liberal Hedy Fry won the riding.

The BCMP placed fifth in the 2001 provincial election and was only a few hundred votes short of fourth place. Emery himself received 905 votes in Vancouver-Burrard, finishing fourth against BC Liberal Lorne Mayencourt.

Emery has been the BC Marijuana Party's president since its founding, and also became party leader in 2003, when Leader Dana Larsen resigned to join the NDP.

In the 2005 British Columbia election, Emery ran for the BC Marijuana in Fort Langley-Aldergrove against provincial Solicitor General Rich Coleman, but was defeated.

On July 30, 2008, Emery announced he was running for mayor of Vancouver in the November election, and MLA in the upcoming by-election for the constituency of Vancouver-Fairview which remains vacant after Gregor Robertson won the Vision Vancouver nomination to run for mayor.

Iboga Therapy House

In 2002, Emery founded the Iboga Therapy House, an ibogaine-assisted detoxification therapy program located on BC's Sunshine Coast. Emery and his staff offered free ibogaine therapy to volunteer heroin and cocaine addicts with a plant-based alkaloid called ibogaine, which eliminates withdrawal symptoms and helps produce the mental change needed to quit using.

Emery's Iboga Therapy House treated almost 60 people before he stopped funding in 2004, at a cost Emery states of over $2000 per person. The Iboga Therapy House became a non-profit society in 2005 and continues to offer ibogaine therapy as an independent organization.

Tokers Bowl

For four years, from 2002 to 2005, Emery sponsored the Vancouver Tokers Bowl, a four-day marijuana-judging event and cannabis party with 200 guests.

Summer of Legalization Tour

In 2003, when the prohibition of cannabis in Canada was in limbo due to court decisions that struck down the marijuana laws because of flaws in the government's medicinal marijuana program, Emery launched "the Summer of Legalization" tour, travelling to 18 cities across Canada to openly smoke marijuana in front of police stations and demonstrate that marijuana was currently legal in Canada, as featured in the documentary ''Escape to Canada''.

Jailed in Saskatoon

On August 19, 2004, Emery was sentenced to 92 days in jail in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Emery had been convicted of trafficking because a witness saw him pass a joint in March 2004. Emery's supporters held an ongoing daily vigil outside the courthouse until he was released. On October 18 he was released from the Saskatoon correctional centre after serving 61 days of his sentence.

Federal NDP turned Provincial Green Party supporter

In federal politics, Emery has been a public supporter of the New Democratic Party since in 2003 Jack Layton supported the legalization of marijuana. In November 2003, Layton was a guest on Emery's ''Pot TV'' program. During the 20-minute interview, Emery urged marijuana activists to support the NDP in the 2004 federal election.

He endorsed Svend Robinson's candidacy in Vancouver Centre during the 2006 federal election campaign, and obtained permission from a judge to have his bail conditions varied so that he could campaign for the NDP candidate.

In the 2009 BC provincial election, Emery supported the Green Party of British Columbia. His wife, Jodie Emery, was the BC Green candidate in Vancouver-Fraserview.

2005 arrest and extradition proceedings

On July 29, 2005, Canadian police, acting on a request from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), simultaneously raided the BC Marijuana Party Bookstore and Headquarters in Vancouver and arrested Emery for extradition to the United States outside a local storefront in the community of Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia where he was attending a HempFest.

American authorities charged Emery and co-defendants Gregory Keith Williams, 50, of Vancouver, BC and Michelle Rainey-Fenkarek, 34, of Vancouver, BC with "'Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana", "Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana Seeds" and "Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering". Even though all the alleged offenses occurred in Canada, Canadian police did not lay any charges.

The day of Emery's arrest, American DEA Administrator Karen Tandy admitted reasons behind the arrest were politically motivated by releasing the following statement, which praised blows dealt to the legalization movement:

Today's DEA arrest of Marc Scott Emery, publisher of Cannabis Culture Magazine, and the founder of a marijuana legalization group -- is a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the U.S. and Canada, but also to the marijuana legalization movement.

His marijuana trade and propagandist marijuana magazine have generated nearly $5 million a year in profits that bolstered his trafficking efforts, but those have gone up in smoke today.

Emery and his organization had been designated as one of the Attorney General's most wanted international drug trafficking organizational targets -- one of only 46 in the world and the only one from Canada.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on.

Emery was freed on a $50,000 bail and prepared to fight extradition in the courts.

International protests and rallies

On September 10, 2005, about seven weeks after Emery's arrest, over 40 demonstrations were held around the world to protest his impending extradition to the United States. Locations included Moscow, Prague, Wellington, Sydney, Mexico City, Paris, and London.

On September 19, 2009, rallies were held in over 100 cities around the world in support of Marc Emery and opposition to his extradition to the USA. Locations included New York, London, Paris, Edmonton, Oslo, Lima, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Houston and many more.

On May 22, 2010, rallies and protests in support of Marc Emery were held in over 80 cities representing a dozen countries. Nations with rallies included Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Philippines, Denmark and Ireland. There were 40 participating cities across Canada and another two dozen across the USA.

Worldwide "Support Marc Emery" rallies are planned for September 18, 2012. So far over 80 cities have confirmed their participation.

Proceedings and guilty plea

Emery and his two associates, all charged in the United States with drug and money laundering offences, each faced a minimum 10-year sentence and the possibility of life imprisonment if convicted there.

On January 14, 2008, Emery had agreed to a tentative plea-bargain with U.S. authorities. The terms of the agreement were a 5-year prison term to be served in both Canadian and U.S. prisons. In return, he demanded the charges against his friends Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams be dropped.

(An appeal court judge ruled on March 7, 2008 in a similar case that a one-month jail sentence and probation constituted an adequate sentence for the crime of marijuana seed selling in Canada. This could possibly have been used to Emery's advantage in his fight against extradition.)

On March 27, 2008 the plea-bargain deal collapsed because of the refusal of the Canadian Conservative government to approve its side of the arrangement.

In late 2008, an extradition hearing was scheduled for June, 2009. However, before those hearings Emery agreed to plead guilty to one charge of drug distribution and accept a five-year sentence in the USA.

On September 21, 2009, Emery entered his guilty plea, and on September 28, he was incarcerated in a British Columbia prison awaiting extradition to a US federal prison to serve the five year sentence. There is a 30 day appeal period before extradition.

Emery was granted bail on November 18, after seven weeks in the pre-trial centre, to await the Justice Minister's decision on the extradition order.

While Emery was imprisoned, his supporters held a permanent vigil outside the prison with tents and banners for 45 days, ending when Emery was released on bail.

On September 10, 2010, Emery was sentenced to 5 years in prison minus time served.

Until April 2011 Emery was held by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the D. Ray James Correctional Institution in Folkston, Georgia.

On April 20, 2011, Emery was transferred to Yazoo City Prison in Mississippi.

Business license

Emery says he has been having troubles with the City of Vancouver, as he has been refused a license renewal for his Vancouver businesses on West Hastings Street. This comes despite his having made thousands of dollars worth of renovations as requested.

Personal life

On July 23, 2006, Marc Emery married Jodie Joanna Giesz-Ramsay (now Jodie Emery). Jodie Emery works as an editor on ''Cannabis Culture'' magazine. She works with her husband as a political activist seeking the end of marijuana prohibition and also seeks the repatriation of her husband back to Canada. She ran as a candidate for the BC Green Party in the May 2009 election, coming in third, losing to Liberal Party member Kash Heed. She is the BC Green Party's Policing and Crime Critic, and was elected as a Director-At-Large at the 2010 BC Green Party Annual General Meeting.

See also

Cannabis Culture Magazine

British Columbia Marijuana Party

Pot TV

Brian Taylor (British Columbia politician)

References

External links

Cannabis Culture Home Page

Pot TV Network

Free Marc Home Page

No Tax for Pan Am (Toronto, 2015), featuring Marc Emery's 1984 campaign literature and video

Marc Emery on his libertarian activism in "The triumph of ideas"

Marc Emery on abortion

Bill St. Clair on Marc Emery

Smoke Out America

New York Times Profile of Marc Emery

Marc Emery, Canada's Prince of Pot (article)

Marc Emery's autobiography and Appeal to Society, "My message to you"

Image gallery for activism to keep Marc Emery free.

Globe and Mail: 'Prince of Pot' ties the knot

Downloadable audio interview with Free Talk Live

A Modern Day Thoreau

http://www.youtube.com/user/JodieEmery - YouTube channel of jodie Emery which Marc Emery Frequents

Related video

The Principle of Pot

The Prince of Pot

Marc Emery addresses Western Standard readers

Prince of Pot: The USA vs. Marc Emery aired October 23, 2007 on CBC Newsworld

Canada - The Prince Of Pot - 52min sec - 11 September 2008, www.journeyman.tv (Ref: 4144)

Profile and Interviews regarding Emery's extradition, CBC News: The Hour, November 10, 2005; Retrieved December 28, 2005

Trailer for Escape to Canada documentary about the Summer of Legalization in which Emery played a critical role

Category:Canadian libertarians Category:Libertarian Party of Canada candidates in the 1980 Canadian federal election Category:Marijuana Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian cannabis activists Category:People from London, Ontario Category:British Columbia Marijuana Party politicians

cs:Marc Emery es:Marc Emery eo:Marc Emery no:Marc Emery ru:Эмери, Марк