Pubdate: Wed, 10 Sep 2014
Source: Nelson Star (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/nelsonstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4866
Author: Will Johnson
Cited: http://mapinc.org/url/jNUJEnwV

GEARING UP FOR ELECTION

Sensible BC wants council candidates who support cause

The local faction of Sensible BC, a group advocating for an end to
marijuana prohibition, is gearing up to get involved both in the
municipal election in November and the federal election next year.

"The strategy for the next while is to get involved in the municipal
election," said retired Nelson teacher and local Sensible BC organizer
Herb Couch. "We want to try and make sure we've got council members
and mayors who are supportive of moving away from prohibition and
working towards a legal, regulated market."

Couch said they plan to use a variety of tactics, including surveying
candidates about their legalization views and using social media to
advance their message. They're hoping city council will instruct
Nelson city police to downgrade marijuana possession charges to their
lowest priority.

"The mayor, who sits on the police board and the city council, could
have a huge impact as far as decriminalization goes," said Couch.

He noted that Mayor John Dooley declined to sign the citizen's
initiative petition to legalize marijuana last year and hasn't
publicly shared his views on the controversial plant. However, other
members of council have expressed their solidarity.

Couch said their local support has come from unexpected
places.

"When we were starting Sensible BC, going around collecting
signatures, we noticed that there was overwhelming support and it
seemed to all be coming from women and seniors," he said.

They had previously assumed most of their back-up would come from the
younger generation.

"Some of the reasons they thought it should be legalized was that it's
never really made a difference. If anything more people use it now
than ever. And they don't want their children or grandchildren getting
arrest records. That, and they think it's a stupid waste of time and
money to enforce a law most people want to see changed," he said.

"The police need to be fighting real crime. As a teacher, schools are
always starved for money but meanwhile they're flying helicopters
around looking for plants. I know this is a federal issue, but in
practice we're the ones who pay all the bills for enforcing
prohibition."

Couch believes marijuana could be regulated in much the same way
coffee or wine is.

Sensible BC is watching closely to see what the outcome of
legalization is in Washington and Colorado and whether or not their
legal markets will end up negatively affecting BC's thriving marijuana
industry.

"I think it's wonderful what Colorado and Washington have done. I
don't think they're perfect. I think BC can improve on a few things
but it's a great example," he said. "We don't want all our tourists
going down there for cannabis. They should be enjoying Kootenay green
right here."

Couch said he became involved in the campaign to end marijuana
legalization out of concern for the youth he worked with during his
teaching career.

"I think it's part of being a responsible citizen. If you see some
policy that is causing great harm in society, if you see it's costly
and unsuccessful and it's making our communities unsafe, organized
crime is being increased=C2=85I just see that we're teaching our young
people hypocrisy and to punish people for cannabis use when it should
be an adult choice or a medical issue."

The Facebook group for the Nelson-Creston faction of Sensible BC
currently has 297 likes on Facebook. The provincial campaign is
planning a conference and training workshop in downtown Vancouver from
October 3 to 5. Couch will be in attendance, and he said they're
actively looking for more Nelson residents to get involved.

To learn more, visit the Nelson-Creston Sensible BC Facebook page.
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MAP posted-by: Matt