Pubdate: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2013 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html Website: http://www.theprovince.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Cited: Sensible BC: http://www.sensiblebc.ca VOTERS ARE WAY AHEAD OF POLITICIANS ON POT Sensible B.C. - a group pushing for the legalization of marijuana - wants to use B.C.'s referendum legislation to force a vote on the decriminalization of pot in B.C. In September, it will begin its campaign, hoping to collect signatures of the required 10 per cent of voters in all 85 ridings to force a vote. The group wants to amend the B.C. Police Act with a "Sensible Policing Act" that will bar police officers from investigating simple possession of marijuana. The second part of the proposed act calls on Ottawa to "repeal cannabis prohibition" and to give the B.C. government the right to tax and regulate pot. If current polls that suggest about 70 per cent of British Columbians oppose the current pot laws are true, Sensible B.C. should have no problem achieving its goal of forcing a referendum. This would be good. For too long, too many politicians have been cowards on the issue while too many otherwise upstanding citizens have been harmed by pot-possession charges. Most people believe now that marijuana use should be a private decision and that governments are doing more harm than good in continuing their failed policy of prohibition. A successful referendum would force politicians' hands and lead government to begin making money from marijuana instead of losing endless tax dollars trying to ban it. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom