Through a cloud of marijuana smoke, the 鈥減rince of pot鈥� made his return to Canada.
Marc Emery鈥檚 supporters lit joints and used pot vaporizers as they waited outside Windsor City Hall for him to cross back into Canada from Detroit Tuesday afternoon.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad to see I鈥檝e got friends,鈥� Emery said shortly after 4 p.m. to the cheering crowd of dozens. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really touching, actually.鈥�
Emery was extradited to Seattle in 2010 where he pleaded guilty to selling marijuana seeds to American customers. The 56-year-old London, Ont., native was sentenced to five years in prison in September 2010.
In front of cameras and microphones, Emery talked about his experience with the 鈥減olite鈥� people in prison.
鈥淚 feel good now, I did good things with my time,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 learned to become a bassist in a rock-and-roll band.鈥�
At 4:20 p.m., a time and number associated with marijuana use, the crowd briefly became rowdy, drowning Emery out as he began to talk politics.
鈥淲ell, don鈥檛 let me interrupt your celebration,鈥� he joked over the noise, adding that the marijuana in the air smelled 鈥渓ike a party.鈥�
鈥淚t smells like Canada,鈥� responded someone in the crowd.
Though marijuana isn鈥檛 the official scent of the country, the sentiment is supported by recent numbers. A new Angus Reid Global poll shows that . And Justin Trudeau鈥檚 Liberal Party, which made it , have a comfortable lead over the Conservative party, according to polls from and .
Emery, who said he hadn鈥檛 smoked since his extradition, threw his weight behind the Liberals, urging the crowd to vote in the 2015 federal election.
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 the most uncool thing in the world to say, especially to young people.鈥� he said. "We absolutely have to get our families, our friends, to get out and register to vote -- and we have to get out and vote."
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney was quick to react to Emery鈥檚 statements, denouncing the 鈥渃onvicted drug trafficker" and Trudeau.
"While the Liberals would try to make it easier for our children to access marijuana, Canadians can count on our government to put forward policies that keep drugs off our streets and keep our families safe," reads the statement.
Emery also quipped about his detractors, saying a Liberal majority would benefit those who dislike his public presence.
鈥淵ou won鈥檛 have to hear from me again in 18 months,鈥� he said.
鈥淥nly until we make marijuana legalized 鈥� then you鈥檙e free!鈥�
With files from the Canadian Press
