Marc and Jodie Emery – Canada’s “Prince and Princess of Pot” – have each pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime more than $5,000, according to a CTV News report. The Emerys must each pay a $150,000 fine plus a $45,000 victim surcharge and spend two years on probation with conditions that bar them from participating in any illegal cannabis dispensary.
The charges stem from March raids at the couples’ seven dispensaries in Toronto, Hamilton, and Vancouver. Three others accepted similar deals in exchange for prosecutors dropping charges against 17 Cannabis Culture employees.
During his court appearance, Marc Emery said he believed the fine is “extraordinarily high” and that he offered to go to jail for a year but authorities “weren’t interested” in the deal. The judge, Justice Leslie Chapin, did concede that activism played a role in the couple’s actions.
“No doubt there were pro social motivations that were behind the actions, but at the same time, I have to recognize that much profit was made.” – Justice Chapin
Marc Emery told reporters outside the court that he didn’t need the money and was “giving it away all the time.” Prosecutors found that one Cannabis Culture dispensary brought in as much as $333,000 in January. Following the sentencing, the couple reportedly lit up joints on the courthouse steps.