Pubdate: Tue, 19 Nov 2013
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948
Author: Karl Yu
Cited: Sensible BC: http://www.sensiblebc.ca

PETITION LESS THAN HALFWAY TO GOAL

With a December deadline looming, the Sensible B.C. campaign is only 
about half way to reaching the target for its marijuana 
decriminalization petition.

Signatures from 10 per cent of registered voters in B.C.'s 85 
electoral districts are sought - approximately 400,000 signatures - 
and according to organizers, the number is currently sitting 
somewhere between the 100,000 and 200,000 mark.

"We put out a number a week ago (and) we just said we were at less 
than half ... but I don't have a number since then," said Dana 
Larsen, director of the Sensible B.C. campaign. "Our numbers have 
been going up substantially in the last little while."

More than 1,400 confirmed signatures have been collected in the 
Nanaimo riding and sent to the head office. Amanda Orum, Nanaimo 
Sensible B.C. zone manager, estimated that if 150 signatures a day 
are collected from now until a cut-off date of Dec. 5, the Nanaimo 
riding will hit the 12-per cent mark. The target for the riding is 
also signatures from 10 per cent of registered voters (4,001).

"When I go into the numbers, our canvassers that are just doing their 
network around them haven't submitted their sheets in yet to me, so 
it's going to be much larger than that much closer to the cut off," Orum said.

She estimated that two out of 10 people in the area are against the 
petition, but even if people are pro-or anti-marijuana 
decriminalization, it doesn't hurt to sign, she said, as the petition 
only seeks to have a referendum on decriminalization in 2014. People 
can vote against decriminalization in the referendum then if they so 
desire, she said.

"This just makes us eligible for a vote and this makes cannabis 
lowest police priority, so we're following the same steps as the 
Washington and Colorado referendum ... we encourage everyone to come 
down and sign, even if you're against it, so that you can exercise 
your democratic right," Orum said.

The deadline for organizers to hand in all the petition forms to 
Elections B.C. is Dec. 9.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom