Pubdate: Wed, 14 Nov 2012
Source: Northern View, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 The Northern View
Contact:  http://www.thenorthernview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4366
Author: Martina Perry
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/people/Dana+Larsen

CANNABIS CRUSADER WANTS COPS TO BUTT OUT

Dana Larsen wants cops to stop worrying about recreational pot smokers.

Larsen stopped in Prince Rupert last week to promote the sensible 
Policing Act which aims to decriminalize possession of marijuana in 
British Columbia.

"The Sensible Policing Act will amend the Police Act... by 
instructing police in British Columbia to spend no time or resources 
on searching, seizing, detaining or arresting anyone for simple 
possession of cannabis essentially decriminalizing it," Larsen said 
at Wednesday's gathering at the Prince Rupert Library.

The second part of the Sensible Policing Act will call upon the 
federal government to remove pot from the Controlled Drugs and 
Substances Act so it can start being legally taxed and regulated in a 
manner similar to alcohol and tobacco. It will also mandate the 
government to start a public commission on the subject.

Next fall the Sensible BC campaign will launch an 
initiative-petition, collecting signatures in hopes of getting the 
Sensible Policing Act on the next provincial voting ballot in 
September 2014. To get it on ballot, 10 per cent of registered voters 
in every electoral district must sign a petition within 90 days.

Larsen is currently touring in hopes of getting people to 
pre-register to sign, so when the time comes it's easier to find 
people who want to sign it.

"We live in the only province in Canada where citizens can get 
together and collect signatures to force a referendum on an issue. 
This is the perfect opportunity. We've never had this kind of 
consensus, or strength in our movement before," Larsen said.

However charges for possession of marijuana continues to rise, 
doubling since 2005.

Locally, the amount of people arrested for possession has gone up. In 
Prince Rupert there were 129 people arrested for marijuana possession 
in 2011, which is up from 108 in 2010.

"The law is clearly not preventing anyone from using it. How do we 
reduce any potential harm and maximize any benefits? In a legalized, 
regulated system," Larsen said.

Larsen will return to Prince Rupert in the spring for another event. )
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom