Pubdate: Fri, 05 Oct 2012
Source: Alberni Valley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Alberni Valley Times
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouverisland/albernivalleytimes/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4043
Author: Mik Mann

IT'S TIME TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA FOR OUR SAFETY

By now, most people have heard that the Union of B.C. Municipalities 
have voted to decriminalize simple marijuana possession for adults 
and to ask the federal government to be allowed to study ways to tax 
and regulate the industry.

The goal of Sensible B.C. is to decriminalize marijuana possession in 
B.C. by bringing the Sensible Policing Act into law. While we will be 
lobbying the B.C. government to pass the Sensible Policing Act, we 
will also be working for a provincial referendum on the issue. The 
Sensible Policing Act has three parts to it.

Part one: Decriminalize simple possession of marijuana by redirecting 
police time and resources.

The first part of the Sensible Policing Act is an amendment to B.C.'s 
Police Act which redirects all police in the province from using any 
police resources, including members time on investigations, searches, 
seizures, citations, arrests, detentions related solely to simple 
possession of cannabis.

Part two: Prohibit possession by minors in the same way as alcohol. 
The second part of the act adds cannabis to the section of the B.C. 
Liquor Control Act, which covers minors in possession of alcohol. 
Police can seize marijuana from a minor and write a ticket the same 
way as for alcohol.

Part three: Calls upon the federal government to let B.C. tax and 
regulate cannabis and study how to do so.

For the federal government to remove cannabis from the Controlled 
Drugs and Substances Act so that B.C. can tax and regulate cannabis 
in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco. This section also 
mandates the provincial government to launch a public study and 
report into how the province will implement a taxed and regulated 
system once the federal government allows it.

The next fixed date for a referendum is September 2014.

Sensible B.C. is asking all British Columbians who support this 
campaign to formally pledge their support and sign up at www.sensiblebc.ca .

We need to sign up 10% of registered voters in each provincial riding 
in 90 days once we start the clock. We did this for the HST, and we 
now have the chance to do the same to the draconian way we deal with marijuana.

Prohibition didn't work for alcohol and it isn't working for marijuana.

It's time to decriminalize marijuana for a safer province.

For more information or to volunteer your time, e-mail  .

Mik Mann

Port Alberni
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom