Cannabis activist Marc Emery hands over a bag of marijuana at Cannabis Culture in Montreal, Friday, December 16, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

High-profile pot activist Marc Emery says that if Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford is ready to privatize the province’s soon-to-be-legal recreational pot market, he’ll line up behind him and try to help the PCs win the upcoming Ontario election.

“I would love to give him money. I would run as a candidate. I would support him, endorse him, all those things – if he abandoned the idea of government retail shops,” he told iPolitics.

“To me, that’s the offensive step in the door that can’t be undone. The idea of government directly marketing to people after putting all their competition in jail, arresting them. It’s just too repugnant for me to ever accept.”

Emery said the degree of support would depend on how free market the plan is, he said, but Ford is so far “talking the right politics.”

The Ontario Liberals plan to only allow cannabis sales through the government’s Ontario Cannabis Store, managed by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, a crown corporation that sells alcohol in the province.

“Once those government stores are open … it’s going to be hard to repeal them, or repeal the LCBO’s control over the cannabis industry in Ontario,” Emery said. “It’ll be hard to undo.”

Ford hinted in an interview Tuesday that he might be open to allowing private pot shops in Ontario after the federal Liberals legalize recreational cannabis consumption this summer.

On CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning program, Ford suggested that his personal preference is to open the pot market up to the private sector.

“I’ve always been open to a fair market. I let the market dictate. I don’t like the government controlling anything,” he said.

When the host pressed if that means he would privatize pot stores if he becomes premier, Ford said he still needs talk about cannabis legalization with his caucus.

“Well, let’s take a look at it. We’re going to come up with a pretty good policy on that and we’ll see,” Ford said.

“I’m open to a free market. I’m going to consult with our caucus and we’ll be able to come up with a very strong game plan.”

Ontario Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne slammed Ford over the comments Wednesday.

She said there “would be a recklessness to doing what Doug Ford is suggesting,” and that parents don’t want “cannabis sold next to candy bars in corner stores.” Ontario Public Service Employees Union president Warren Thomas also characterized the comments as “reckless” and defended the LCBO.

But Emery said Wynne’s plan is practically “communist,” and that if the PC caucus opts for a free-market approach, the pot activist community would likely rally around Ford.

“There’s the usual left-wing contingent involved in the pot movement, but self-interest is a very strong motivation for a population seeing our industry being completely stifled by the Liberals,” he said.

In last year’s federal Conservative leadership race, Emery had supported and donated to Maxime Bernier’s campaign.

Bernier had run on a libertarian platform and at one point suggested that he’s for legalizing pot, although largely shied away from commenting on it during the race.

Emery previously told iPolitics, when Bill C-45 was being studied by a House of Commons committee, that Bernier would have “come up with a far better bill” if he was prime minister — a “market solution” that would “get rid of all this government in the way.”