Pubdate: Fri, 06 Dec 2013
Source: Richmond News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013, Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.richmond-news.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1244
Author: Philip Raphael

RUNNING OUT OF PUFF?

Deadline looms for bid to de-criminalize marijuana

Local organizers of Sensible BC's campaign to trigger a referendum
de-criminalizing marijuana use are crossing their fingers they will
reach their target by the end of this weekend.

The campaign, similar in format to the one successfully waged to
repeal the HST, was given 90 days to collect the signatures of 10 per
cent of registered voters in each of B.C.'s 85 provincial electoral
ridings.

In Richmond, that works out roughly to be 4,300 names from each of the
three constituencies: Richmond-Steveston, Richmond Centre and Richmond
East.

While exact numbers were not available, the campaign locally is
believed to be playing catch-up as the Dec. 8 deadline to gather names
nears.

Andrea Evans, Sensible BC's organizer in the riding of
Richmond-Steveston said that even if the campaign falls short of its
target, the exercise has managed to provide a public stage to discuss
marijuana use.

"It's been a really good opportunity to educate people and get a
conversation started because drug laws are changing all over the
world," she said.

Plus, the campaign did manage to hit some highlights, Evans said,
alluding to results in the riding of Vancouver West End, which
according to Sensible BC reached its goal of 3,753 signatures about 40
days into the 90-day campaign.

Evans said there were other wins in Nelson, and even in Premier
Christy Clark's new riding of Westside-Kelowna where the goal was 4,564.

In Richmond, Evans said while there was good support from a
wide-ranging demographic, the fact there was no organizer for
Richmond-East made the task more difficult.
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MAP posted-by: Matt