An organization dedicated to the decriminalization of marijuana will be seeking volunteer canvassers at an event in Port Coquitlam next week as it prepares for a marijuana referendum campaign this fall.
Sensible BC needs 50 to 60 volunteers in each of B.C.'s 85 constituencies to collect signatures this fall in order to pressure the provincial government to hold a referendum on the Sensible Policing Act.
The legislation, written by supporters of Sensible BC, would essentially stop police from searching or arresting people for possession of marijuana and would call on Ottawa to repeal marijuana prohibition.
While legalization falls under the purview of the federal government, Dana Larsen, the director of Sensible BC, said the province has the power to tell police how they should prioritize their resources.
"It is very specific," he said. "We want the province to tell police to stop searching and arresting people for marijuana possession."
Larsen said he's hoping to achieve what HST activists were able to accomplish with their recall campaign in 2011. He believes that if a vote on the Sensible Policing Act were held today, it would gain overwhelming support.
Getting the signatures to force a referendum is the difficult part, he said. More than 400,000 signatures from across B.C. are required and must represent at least 10% of registered voters in each provincial riding. Organizers will only have 90 days to collect the names starting on Sept. 9.
Before the three-month signature-gathering period begins, Larsen hopes to have 5,000 to 6,000 volunteers in place across B.C. to help collect names. "We are really looking for people to step up," he said.
Members of SensibleBC will be at Leigh Square (1100-2253 Leigh Square) to talk about existing marijuana laws and field questions from the audience. on Tuesday, July 23, between 7 and 8:30 p.m. For more information about the campaign, go to www.sensiblebc.ca.
