Pubdate: Tue, 23 Jul 2013
Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 The Abbotsford Times
Contact:  http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009
Author: Rochelle Baker
Cited: Sensible BC: http://www.sensiblebc.ca/

POT DEBATE HEATING UP AGAIN

Pot activist coming to Abbotsford Wednesday to plant seeds for
legalization of marijuana

A pot activist with approval from Elections BC to collect signatures
for a provincial referendum to legalize marijuana is coming to
Abbotsford Wednesday.

Dana Larsen, director of Sensible BC, is coming to the city to
convince local supporters and volunteers to canvas for signatures in
Abbotsford for the marijuana referendum campaign.

The petition, which would function the same way as the HST campaign
that went to referendum, would have 90 days to collect signatures from
10 per cent of the voters in every riding, starting on Sept. 9. If
successful, the group's petition would be put to referendum in 2014.
Sensible BC's draft bill aims to decriminalize marijuana

and to stop police and the courts from expending resources to crack
down on adults for simple pot possession, said Larsen.

Sensible BC polling indicates 70 per cent of B.C. residents support
the decriminalization of marijuana, said Larsen.

"The question for us is, are there enough British Columbians who feel
passionately about this issue for us to find the many canvassers and
volunteers we need?" he said.

At least 50 Abbotsford volunteers would be required to collect enough
signatures locally, said Larsen. It will be a challenge but not
impossible to get the requisite signatures in a city that has a
reputation for being very conservative politically, said Larsen.

Roughly 400,000 signatures will be required across all the electoral
districts in the province.

"We simply need a 10 per cent minimum in each district to make it to
the referendum," he said.

"We've done polling. .. and the majority of self-described
conservative voters, 57 per cent of them, supported decriminalization
[of marijuana]."

"We've found this issue crosses every political boundary. Every
political, age or gender group indicated a majority for this
legislation."

Larsen said that it also time to stop wasting police and judicial
resources to charge and prosecute adults for pot possession.

University of the Fraser Valley criminologist Irwin Cohen said it
would be interesting to see what kind of support Sensible BC can
generate in Abbotsford.

"As a traditional and typically conservative community with strong
Christian and Mennonite influences, it might make it difficult
territory," said Cohen.

Ten per cent of the local electorate wasn't an impossible threshold
but the success of the campaign may hinge on what arguments the
activist group employs, said Cohen.

Arguments might focus around ending gang crime, potential tax
revenues, health issues or personal freedoms, he noted.

However, Cohen said he wasn't convinced that legalization of marijuana
production would lead to a drop in crime. Most gangs producing pot are
exporting it to other markets where it is illegal and decriminalizing
it locally would not affect that trade, he said.

He also noted that as far as he's aware Abbotsford Police aren't
busting people for pot possession unless they come across it during
some other type of arrest.

However, many people may support or oppose the legalization of
marijuana for emotional reasons rather than empirical data on the
economic, health or criminal justice aspects of the proposal, Cohen
added.

But there does seem to be a general trend in public thinking that
decriminalization may be inevitable, he said.

"Some people take the view, if not today, then tomorrow," said
Cohen.

"If you look at the recent referendums in the U.S. and the general
pubic attitude to marijuana, you could make the argument the writing
is on the wall and that it's a matter of time."

Larsen will be at the Abbotsford Clearbrook Library, 43430 George
Ferguson Way, on Wednesday from 7 - 8:30 p.m. The coalition will also
be signing up volunteers for the upcoming petition drive on Wednesday.
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MAP posted-by: Matt