Pubdate: Thu, 18 Jul 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: Jenn McGarrigle

PETITION GROUP DENIED BOOTH AT MARINE FESTIVAL

A group campaigning to de-criminalize marijuana possession has been 
denied booth space at one of Nanaimo's largest festivals.

Sensible B.C., a group led by marijuana activist Dana Larsen, 
proposes an amendment to the Police Act that would disallow police in 
B.C. to spend any time, money or resources on cases of simple 
possession of cannabis.

Elections B.C. has given approval in principal for the group to lead 
a petition drive and starting Sept. 9, Sensible B.C. will have 90 
days to collect signatures from at least 10 per cent of registered 
provincial voters in each of the province's 85 electoral districts to 
trigger a referendum, as was done to repeal the HST.

Larsen said a while ago, the group booked a booth at the Nanaimo 
Marine Festival July 26-28 in Maffeo Sutton Park and the cheque was 
cashed, but then last week the group was told that it couldn't have 
the booth after all and the money was returned.

"We think that's kind of odd and unfair," he said. "We were always 
clear about what we were doing. We're at a lot of events this summer 
to drum up awareness."

Bill McGuire, commodore with the Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society, said 
organizers try to stay away from politics and religion as well as 
anything that could be controversial at the festival and the group's 
mandate does not fit with what the festival is all about.

"We don't try to say no to anything, but also we're putting on an 
event that's family-oriented and that has no place in our event," he 
said. "We just felt that that one didn't fit the bill."

The society made a mistake in allowing the application initially, 
McGuire added, and will look at how to prevent something like this 
from happening again.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom