This caused outrage, leading to the strikers threatening to dump garbage on Emery's front lawn. He ran for mayor of the city of Vancouver in 1996, 2002 and 2008. Emery moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in March 1994, and founded Hemp BC, a store selling cannabis-related paraphernalia. Bongs and pipes were illegal to sell or promote in Canada and were not readily available at the time. Starting in late 1994, Emery began selling seeds after attending the "High Times" Cannabis Cup. The business was featured on the front page of "The Wall Street Journal" in 1995. In early 1995 he launched "Cannabis Canada Magazine", which was renamed "Cannabis Culture" magazine in 1998. The store was raided twice in 1996 and 1997. Emery received charges relating to illegal sales of paraphanelia and seeds, as well as assaulting a police officer. He was later convicted and given a $2,200 fine for the sales and jail time for the assault. Emery was also banned from returning to the 300 block of West Hastings, where his businesses were located. The store was repeatedly raided through 1998 after its sale to the store manager. Her business licence was subsequently revoked by the city. In August 1998, Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen had told "The New York Times" that Hemp BC was "going to be toast by September." Emery switched his walk-in marijuana seed business to mail-order only, and continued to publish "Cannabis Culture" magazine. In early 2000 he established Pot-TV, a marijuana-related video channel. From 1998 until his arrest in 2005, Emery paid provincial and federal taxes as a "marijuana seed vendor" totalling nearly $600,000. On December 15, 2016, Marc and Jodie Emery opened six illegal Cannabis Culture marijuana "dispensaries" in Montreal, Quebec as an act of "civil disobedience". On 16 December 2016, Marc Emery was arrested at the Mont-Royal Avenue store, during a series of raids conducted by the Montreal police. Jodie Emery was released later that night with no charges, while Marc was held overnight. Following this arrest, Emery continued to open dispensary franchises in cities such as Hamilton and Ottawa. At one time, a total of 19 Cannabis Culture dispensaries were in operation in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. In late 1994, a court challenge sponsored by Emery convinced an Ontario judge to overturn the Canadian prohibition on marijuana and drug-related literature, making it legal for "High Times" magazine and marijuana grow books to be sold in Canada once more.