Still on the topic of celebrities who relate to Ayn Rand, here is an unlikely one who points the arrow towards what has forever been a contentious issue relating to free markets, and the right of a government to impose a ban. The name is Marc Emery, but he is better known as the ‘prince of pot.’ He has been in the Marijuana trade for decades as a manufacturer and supplier of cannabis seeds and is one of the 50 most wanted drug dealers in the US. Currently based in Canada, he is facing extradition to the US, and will plead guilty before a Seattle court on September 21 to a charge of manufacturing marijuana. He professes complete agreement with the economic and political aspects of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, claiming her to be his greatest influence. Click here to read an interview with him that was published in the Mid-Day newspaper a few months back.
True to Ayn Rand’s teaching, he has not treated his profession as a shameful secret. Quite to the contrary, he proudly proclaims himself as a champion of unregulated free markets, and the right of adults to choose whether they wish to take drugs. Chased by the US government as a criminal, he took sanctuary in Canada for several years. Canada has a more lenient drug policy than the US, and Emery finally naturalized there. Based in Vancouver till his jail term, Emery speaks vociferously on public forums and in the media about virtually every issue related to drugs, including the rights of adults to choose. He also heads a political party, and has run for office several times. Now, following a complex legal arrangement, he faces five years in a US prison. He is currently on a ‘farewell tour’ and is speaking at different venues in the world about drug-related issues.
In the Mid-Day interview mentioned above, amongst other things, he talks about the fact that the harms associated with smoking grass have been grossly over-estimated by popular channels.
It will be interesting to hear what people here have to say about the right of adults to purchase drugs freely, and the banning and criminalizing of the drug trade.
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