Pubdate: Fri, 21 Sep 2012
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Kevin Drews

B.C. POT ADVOCATE TO PUSH PETITION

VANCOUVER - One of B.C.'s leading marijuana advocates says he's going 
to raise an army of well trained, disciplined volunteers for his 
effort to decriminalize possession and use of cannabis by adults.

Elections B.C. announced Thursday it has approved in principle an 
initiative petition filed by Dana Larsen, who ran unsuccessfully for 
the leadership of B.C.'s New Democrats. Larsen's draft bill, entitled 
the Sensible Policing Act, would amend the Police Act, and prohibit 
the use of provincial police resources to enforce simple 
possession-and-use laws for adults.

It also asks the province to call upon the federal government to 
repeal marijuana prohibition laws or give B.C. an exemption.

Elections B.C. announced it will issue the petition Nov. 19, giving 
Larsen 90 days to collect the signatures of more than 10 per cent of 
registered voters in each of B.C.'s 85 electoral districts.

However, Larsen said he won't be gathering signatures this fall.

Instead, he'll use the petition to generate attention and gather 
volunteers to find, train, excite and mobilize "an army of 
well-trained disciplined signature gatherers."

He said he will submit another application in September 2013 and then 
begin the process of collecting signatures.

"It is a very difficult procedure, absolutely," he said in an 
interview. "It's a big challenge. That's why we're doing it in this 
unique way of spending a year in advance to build support and build 
up our volunteer base.

"I am very confident that far more than 10 per cent of the registered 
voters in every riding of the province support decriminalization of cannabis."

Attorney General and Justice Minister Shirley Bond was unavailable 
for an interview, but said in a statement that she recognizes the 
initiative process is available to any registered voter in B.C.

"However, I have confidence that our Police Act currently meets our 
public safety responsibility to communities right across the province."

She also noted that her government had no authority to make decisions 
on decriminalization.

"What it means is that unless Canadian law is changed, the 
production, sale and use of marijuana is currently illegal and 
controlled by federal legislation and our police have a 
responsibility to enforce the Criminal Code."

Peter Lepine, chief constable of the West Vancouver Police Department 
and president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, declined 
to comment on the politics behind the bill.

"At the end of the day from a policing perspective, we're tasked with 
enforcing the laws as the laws are written," he said.

Larsen said many British Columbians recognize police resources could 
be better spent on "serious criminal offences," and many want to see 
cannabis laws reformed.

However, police are spending more time and resources on enforcing 
possession laws and charges have doubled between 2005 and 2010, Larsen said.

Neil Boyd, a criminology professor at Simon Fraser University, agreed 
with Larsen on the possession statistics, noting charges have jumped 
from 1,700 in 2005 to 3,500 in 2010 even though use hasn't changed.

Boyd said 10 to 20 per cent of B.C.'s population has used marijuana 
in the last year. "I do think it makes sense not to enforce marijuana 
possession laws," he said.

Boyd said police report about 15,000 cases annually, but only 3,000 
people are charged.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom