Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC) Copyright: 2013 Metro Canada Contact: http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775 Author: Elizabeth Hames Cited: Sensible BC: http://www.sensiblebc.ca/ ACTIVIST HOPES CURRENT POT LAWS GO UP IN SMOKE Challenge: Dana Larsen has gotten approval for a petition to decriminalize marijuana in B.C. A B.C. marijuana activist has been given the green light to petition for the decriminalization of the illegal drug. Elections B.C. said Thursday it will issue Dana Larsen a petition for an amendment to the B.C. Police Act, which would prohibit police officers from making arrests for pot possession. The amendment would not affect laws around trafficking. If Larsen's petition receives enough signatures, the amendment, called the Sensible Policing Act, could go to a province-wide referendum in September 2014. "This confirms that B.C. has the power to decriminalize marijuana in this province," said Larsen, a director of the Sensible Change Society, which is behind the Sensible B.C. campaign to decriminalize marijuana. In addition to decriminalizing marijuana, the Sensible Policing Act aims to call upon the federal government to repeal marijuana prohibition and establish a commission to determine regulations for cultivation and sale in B.C. Larsen said polling indicates majority support for decriminalization in every major demographic in B.C. "They don't want that (marijuana) to be the focus of police resources," said Larsen, explaining the popularity of decriminalization among British Columbians. It costs the province an estimated $10.5 million per year to bust pot smokers, said Larsen. Moreover, regulation of cultivation and sale of the drug could generate millions of dollars for the province, he added. However, Larsen said the largest challenge in the fight for decriminalization won't be convincing British Columbian's it's a good idea. "Winning the election is the easy part," he said. "The hard part is getting the signatures and getting on the ballot." The Sensible B.C. campaign will have just 90 days beginning Sept. 9 to collect the signatures of at least 10 per cent of registered voters in each of B.C.'s 85 electoral districts, about 400,000 people, said Larsen. Although Larson's petition application is the ninth approved by Elections BC since 1995, only one such petition has ever garnered enough signatures to bring a legislative proposal to a referendum: the petition for a referendum on the HST. For more information about the Sensible B.C. Campaign, visit sensiblebc.ca . - --- MAP posted-by: Matt