Dana Larsen, former candidate for leadership of the BC New Democratic Party, is coming to Powell River to promote the Sensible Policing Act, which would effectively decriminalize marijuana possession in the province.
Larsen, a director of Vancouver Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary, will be speaking from 7 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, January 24 in the Poplar Room at Powell River Recreation Complex.
Sensible BC has launched an initiative-petition campaign, which Larsen is leading, to collect enough signatures to have a referendum in September 2014 on decriminalizing cannabis. The organization needs to collect signatures from 10 per cent of registered voters in every BC electoral district during a 90-day period. The group plans on starting the 90-day clock in September 2013.
The proposed bill would see weed possession decriminalized for adults and the province formally call on the federal government to allow BC to begin legally taxing and regulating cannabis much like alcohol and tobacco.
The recent votes to legalize cannabis in the American states of Washington and Colorado have given the Sensible BC campaign a solid boost, said Larsen.
“There’s no reason we cannot decriminalize possession in our province,” he said. “Our main challenge is organizational. We need to have thousands of dedicated volunteers working all across the province for this campaign to succeed. Anyone who wants to help should come to our event or visit us online to find out more.”
