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VIDEO: Pot rally sends ‘smoke signal’ to Ottawa

Vancouver protesters joined the Cannabis Club in making their displeasure known
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Hundreds of people showed up to a Cannabis Culture rally at Thornton Park on Canada Day. (Katya Slepian/Black Press)

The clock may be ticking towards marijuana legalization but that didn’t stop hundreds of Vancouverites from lighting up a joint in protest.

“What you’re here doing right now, if you’re smoking marijuana illegally, you’re participating in civil disobedience,” said Jodie Emery. “That means you say this law is wrong, it’s unjust and it hurts harmless people. Therefore I’m going to break this law to demonstrate the injustice so we can challenge it in court and in the eyes of the public.”

Jodie Emery, along with ‘Prince of Pot’ husband Marc Emery, run a chain of smoke shops across the country. The Emerys were arrested and charged with 18 counts altogether, including conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of proceeds of crime.

At Saturday’s rally, Jodie Emery told the crowd gathered in Thornton Park to ignore those who tell protesters to stop breaking marijuana laws.

“We only got here because of people breaking the law,” she said. “When we smoke… harmless, peaceful people sending a big signal that together, all over the world, our people are united together by this flower.”

WATCH: Marijuana activists and protesters smoke it up together


@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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