The New York Times reported Aug. 13 that Emery, a Canadian citizen, has used the media and the Internet to rally support for his fight against extradition on charges of selling marijuana seeds across the border. "Let me be the light that shines on the American gulag," said Emery during a recent webcast.

Dubbed "The Prince of Pot," Emery, 47, is charged with conspiring to manufacture marijuana, launder money, and traffic millions of marijuana seeds into the United States. Federal officials in the U.S. consider him one of their most-wanted international drug traffickers.

But Emery portrays himself as an average guy whose drug of choice happens to be marijuana -- a choice that is widely accepted in his Vancouver home town. He says shipping the marijuana seeds to the U.S. is part of his master plan to "overgrow" the U.S. government and others who prohibit marijuana use. "I've wanted to be the Johnny Appleseed of marijuana, so if we produced millions and millions of marijuana plants all over the world, it would be impossible for governments to eradicate or control all of it," says Emery.

Emery also leads the British Columbia Marijuana Party and has twice run for mayor of Vancouver, finishing fifth out of 16 candidates in 2002.

U.S. drug officials contend that Emery has made millions selling seeds to growers in nine states. "He operated his business very efficiently, making a lot of money at the expense of our kids and the American public," said Rodney Benson, special agent in charge of the DEA field office in Seattle.

The Canadian government, which had been lenient with Emery, arrested him in July in cooperation with the DEA. He's now free on bail and fighting extradition, which could take years. Many Canadians see the battle as one of sovereignty, not a drug case.

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