Pubdate: Thu, 13 Dec 2012
Source: Oceanside Star (BC)
Copyright: 2012 Oceanside Star
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/oceansidestar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4880
Author: Stewart Burnett
Cited: Sensible BC: http://www.sensiblebc.ca

LARSEN HOPES FOR 2014 CANNABIS REFERENDUM

Sensible Policing Act Means BC Would Stop Enforcing Federal Possession Laws

If his Sensible BC campaign can secure enough signatures next year, 
Dana Larsen, co-founder of the BC Marijuana Party and former BC NDP 
leader candidate, hopes that in September 2014 there will be a 
referendum on decriminalizing marijuana possession in the province.

"The success of the anti-HST campaign shows that it can be done," 
Larsen told a small group in Parksville last week.

His Sensible Policing Act would effectively decriminalize marijuana 
possession in BC.

"We can't change federal law," he noted, "but provinces have duty 
over policing to direct police where to expend resources and where not to."

He said provinces' ability to direct police not to enforce federal 
laws was shown when eight provinces rejected the now-scrapped 
long-gun registry.

Vancouver has cannabis possession very low on its list of laws to 
enforce, he said, evidenced by fewer than 10 possession charges in 
the city last year.

Larsen pointed to successes in the cannabis legalization movement in 
the last 20 years, such as industrial hemp being grown and medical 
marijuana being grown by government.

He noted that bongs, pipes, vaporizers and even how-to-grow books are 
still banned in Canada but that ban is rarely if ever enforced. Even 
Cheech and Chong movies would fall under the legislation's 
description, he said.

"Those laws generally aren't enforced anymore, especially in the big 
cities," Larsen said. "The more rural and the more north you are in 
Canada, the more likely you're going to get harassment for that kind of stuff."

Though public sentiment seems to be moving in the decriminalization 
direction, BC has seen a sharp increase in possession charges.

In 2005, about 1,700 people were charged with cannabis possession, 
said Larsen, but last year that number had jumped to 3,700 - over 10 a day.

"This is an unprecedented increase in charges in BC for simple 
possession," he said, noting it also takes up court resources and 
leaves people with criminal records.

The Sensible Policing Act would enforce possession among minors the 
same as alcohol is enforced now.

Larsen said a referendum is necessary because politicians usually 
don't change these laws on their own. He noted that though BC NDP 
leader Adrian Dix supports decriminalization and the party does as a 
whole, the NDP probably won't move on that front if in government.

"I think our politicians are cowards and I don't think they're going 
to do it without us making it happen," Larsen said.

To force a referendum, the Sensible BC campaign will require 10% of 
registered voters in every single riding to sign its petition - about 
400,000 people.

Larsen will have 90 days to execute the campaign. Until then, he's 
looking to register as many voters in advance as possible. For more, 
see www.sensiblebc.ca .
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom