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 . - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom