Canada’s most famous cannabis activist and canna-businessman Marc Emery gave an inspirational and outspoken talk last night at an event hosted by ReLeaf, Malta’s cannabis rights group.  

He started off his first speech in Malta by saying that if it wasn’t for Malta, he might not be here, since his father’s ship was sunk in WW2 right off Malta, where he remained stationed during the war.

But he soon dived right into the meat and potatoes of the talk: cannabis legalisation in Malta, and everything that needs to be done to achieve it. 

1. The imprisonment of Christopher Bartolo is the most “egregious” act he’s seen in Europe in years

Imprisoning a man with no kidneys for a “piddling” amount of cannabis shows how callous the Maltese government is, and he called out the Justice Minister and Prime Minister for allowing this to happen under their watch.

He said that God would not be happy to see the way the Maltese government treated a vulnerable human being.

He took particular umbrage at Justice Minister Owen Bonnici calling the government “humane” following the release of Christopher Bartolo, saying the fact that they imprisoned him in the first place shows how inhumane they are. 

2. “Don’t be afraid to be arrested”

As someone whose been imprisoned in 39 different prisons around America and Canada, and whose “written my best stuff” inside prison, Marc believed that the fear that cannabis users around the world have of prison is overblown. 

If the law is unjust, don’t be afraid to challenge it, and any punishment you get is nothing more than a sign that you truly believe in what you are doing. 

“You should be proud to go to jail, you must rise above your discomfort and do something for your nation, your family and for future generations,” he said. 

3. “Cannabis is the only plant you’ll find in the Arctic, Antarctic, and every continent, city, and town in the world”

Calling the cannabis plant “the most valuable and utilitarian plant that exists on this planet and will ever exist”, he cited the many multinationals investing millions into medicinal cannabis as proof of the plant’s value.

He also said that humans and cannabis have co-evolved over thousands of years and that’s why the plant has so many uses to humans, from hemp fibres to food to medicine. 

4. “If you are anti-cannabis, you are anti-Jesus Christ”

Marc referred to the Bible, which he has read twice and he believed provided even more evidence for cannabis legalisation.

He quoted Genesis 1:29 – ‘Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food’.

He also quoted Genesis 1:30 – ‘God saw it and it was all good’.

He said that if you believe the Bible is the word of God, then cannabis must be good as that is what the word of God says.

He also said  anyone trying to “usurp this plant from the people” is anti-Christianity and anti-Christ. 

5. The Canadian government spent decades locking people up, only to now try to take over the cannabis industry

He called out the hypocrisies of governments all over the world for dedicating so many resources to hunting down and imprisoning cannabis users, only to now turn around and try to invite major corporations to their countries to cash out. 

6. Cannabis users are among the most persecuted people in the last century

Marc Emery made the point that cannabis users have suffered greatly at the hands of the authorities for over half a century now. 

He said that “55 million people have been arrested worldwide in the last 50 years, and millions have spent serious time in jail.” 

He also pointed out that “there are people currently serving life imprisonment for cannabis and many countries have executed cannabis users in those 50 years.”

7. Don’t be afraid to let people know you smoke cannabis 

In his travels around the world, many cannabis users told him they were afraid to attend rallies or public meetings out of fear that they’d be known as a cannabis user.

He had a simple answer to this: “if you are a cannabis user, maybe people should know you are a cannabis user.”

He said “are you going to hide in fear all your life, or are you going to say ‘fuck it, I’m a pot smoker!'”

8. “If Christopher Bartolo goes to jail, I’m going to blame you”

“My father didn’t risk his life in the Valletta harbour in WW2 to preserve your democracy just for you to let a man with no kidneys be sent to jail,” he said passionately. 

Saying that Malta is a small island where everyone knows everybody, he told everyone in the room that if Christopher Bartolo is sent back to jail for even one more day, it would be on them. 

He said the Maltese people have the power to raise their voice, and allowing a man with no kidneys to be sent to prison for using cannabis medicinally should not happen on the Maltese people’s watch.

9. He rejected any links between cannabis and mental illnesses

Saying that there were no proven links between cannabis and any mental illnesses, he said instead that cannabis is one of the best ways to protect against degenerative mental illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

He also made the point that while cannabis use has risen dramatically over the last 40 years in the Western world, the prevalence of schizophrenia has remained the same, adding to the proof there is no link between them, 

10. “Cannabis smokers are the free thinkers and the artists”

From musicians to scientists to Olympians, cannabis users can be found at the top of any field in any country. He said that people who use cannabis are the ones who ask more questions, question authority, and are the pioneers.

11. “Malta can only get better from here”

With the government discussing cannabis legalisation, cannabis-related prisoners being let out of jail after decisions from the top, and with the medical cannabis industry set to take off, Marc Emery was hopeful and positive for the future.

Now, it is essential that cannabis users make their presence felt, be it through speaking to their politicians, civil disobedience, or anything else that is effective.

Did you attend Marc Emery’s talk?

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Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]