Marc and Jodie Emery arrested in Toronto

Marc and Jodie Emery, the Prince and Princess of the pot, were arrested at Toronto airport, at the same time as several of their dispensaries were raided. Both were on their way to the Spannabis, the international cannabis fair held last weekend in Barcelona.

The Emery are now the owners of 19 Cannabis Culture stores in Canada. Police visited 7 of their dispensaries and 4 homes, as part of an operation entitled Project Gator which targets illegal cannabis dispensaries.

This was the main reason for their arrest. Cannabis Culture stores are already selling recreational cannabis, even though cannabis has not yet been legalized in Canada. Police officers seized 250,000$ in cash, 65 kg of cannabis and 2.4 kg of cannabis extracts, quantities which suggest that the stores' suppliers can only be linked to illegal sources of production and distribution.

Inspector Steve Watts said, «The public needs to know that this is not an altruistic enterprise, it is purely profit-driven. Anyone with a prescription for cannabis can apply to the Department of Health , which has an abundant supply.»

The Emery couple, along with 3 other Cannabis Culture employees, were released on bail of 30,000$ each. The charges against them include conspiracy, trafficking and possession of cannabis, and they have been barred from possessing and consuming cannabis or participating in the economic activity of a Cannabis Culture.

The Emerys are calling on the government to stop enforcing current cannabis laws and fulfill their promise to legalize cannabis. For Marc Emery, the only reason for their arrest is his 20-year activism and fight for legalization.

«The government fears us,» he said as he left court in Toronto on Friday. «Our example has been proof for 25 years that we are at the forefront of legalization.»

For Mark Pugash, director of communications for the Toronto police, the law is very clear. «We're just enforcing the law, which says very clearly that dispensaries are illegal.»

The Canadian federal government is expected to announce its legalization plan very soon. Cannabis market players currently fear that a business they've been working in for 25 years will suddenly slip from their grasp, and fall into the hands of large groups like Canopy Growth or Tilray. Marc Emery continues to push hard for the law to move forward as quickly as possible. Is it really effective this way? Only time will tell, but for now he's risking a pretty hefty 15 counts in all, plus the temporary loss of Cannabis Culture.