Canadian gives up extradition fight

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 6 (UPI) -- A marijuana activist in Canada will serve time in a U.S. prison after giving up his four-year extradition battle on drug charges, officials said.

Marc Emery, nicknamed The Prince of Pot, said he will plead guilty to one charge of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana as part of a plea bargain with the U.S. attorney's office in Washington state, the Vancouver Province reported Saturday.

"My lawyer has been convincing me for the last four years that extradition will be the final outcome," he said, noting that his lawyer told him he's never seen the Canadian government refuse a U.S. extradition request.

"He said, 'If you fight this and you're extradited, you'll face three charges -- two of which have mandatory minimums of 10 years,'" Emery said.

His charges stem from a joint U.S.-Canadian investigation into Emery's mail-order business in Vancouver, which was busted in 2005 for selling marijuana seeds to U.S. buyers.

He was also charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to engage in money laundering, but those charges will be dropped as a part of his plea bargain.

Prosecutors are expected to push for a six- to eight-year sentence, said Emery, who plans to ask for a term of zero to five years and a transfer to a Canadian prison.

Emery's co-defendants, Michelle Rainey and Gregory Williams, pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. They are expected to receive a two-year probationary term to be served in Canada.