Pubdate: Tue, 16 Jul 2013
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: Charelle Evelyn

POT PUSH SIMMERS

The push for the decriminalization of pot is gathering steam with the 
group leading the charge getting the go-ahead for a 
referendum-triggering petition.

Beginning in September, volunteers will be collecting signatures in 
support of amending the province's Police Act. The initiative, 
approved by the chief electoral officer, is spearheaded by Sensible 
B.C., led by Vancouver-based marijuana legalization advocate Dana Larsen.

Under the province's Recall and Initiative Act, registered voters are 
allowed to propose new laws or changes to existing laws.

The draft Sensible Policing Act calls for provincial police to stop 
using resources on the enforcement of current laws in relation to 
simple possession of cannabis by adults. The bill also calls for 
non-lawful possession of cannabis and use of the substance by minors 
to be an offense similar to the possession and use of alcohol.

The draft legislation recommends making further inroads by having the 
province lobby the federal government to either repeal the 
prohibition on cannabis or give B.C. an exemption, allowing the 
province to tax and regulate cannabis like it does tobacco and alcohol.

Elections B.C. will issue a petition on Sept. 9 and the group will 
have 90 days from that date to collect signatures from 10 per cent of 
registered voters in each electoral district.

According to Elections BC, out of the nine previous initiative 
applications approved since 1995, only one - calling for an repeal of 
the HST - has obtained the required number of signatures.

If successful, the petition goes to a legislative committee which 
will then decide to take the matter to the floor or to put the matter 
to the electorate.

The next scheduled initiative vote is scheduled for Sept. 27, 2014 
and the referendum is nonbinding.

Locally, the effort is being led by Levi Neudorf, who became part of 
the campaign shortly before May and has since signed up more than 100 
volunteers.

Neudorf said he got involved with Sensible B.C. after looking at the 
situation in the United States and the costs associated with weed prohibition.

"I am an entrepreneur, I saw the hundreds of small businesses pop up 
once sensible drug policies were enacted in states like California, 
Washington and Colorado," said Neudorf.

"I really understood the need for me to help make this movement come to B.C."

While he has encountered a wide range of views regarding the 
campaign, Neudorf said overall there's a high level of support within 
the community.

Sensible B.C. director Larsen said local organizers are key for 
tackling the logistical challenge the group will face in collecting 
the necessary signatures.

"The regional and the local organizers are the people that will be 
leading the charge in those communities, they'll be working with 
other volunteers to get them the material they need from us, to 
collect the sign-up sheets and canvasser forms that they fill out and 
get them back to us and to act as the media liaison and central 
organizer for that community," he said.

Getting the word out about the campaign initially presented its own 
challenges. Last month, Larsen spoke out against Pattison Outdoor, a 
large outdoor advertising company, for their refusal to run the 
campaign's billboards in communities across the province.

That situation has since been rectified, though the group hasn't set 
up any more billboards outside of the one in West Vancouver, hosted 
by Astral Media.

The approach for each riding will have to be different, said Larsen, 
noting the spread of more remote areas like Prince George make it 
harder to reach everyone necessary, but the signature target is lower 
than a place such as Surrey, which has a lot of ridings in close 
proximity to each other, but a very dense population.

"There's really unique challenges in every area and I'm not sure any 
one is going to be any easier than any other ones," Larsen said.

To reach that target locally, Neudorf said he attends as many 
community events as he can to drum up support and sign up fellow canvassers.

Those interested can contact Neudorf at  to 
arrange to sign a confidentiality agreement and receive a canvasser 
package. Anyone who wishes to help collect signatures has to register 
with Elections B.C.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.sensiblebc.ca .
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom