A tour advocating a B.C. marijuana referendum comes to the Comox Valley this weekend as part of a swing visiting 15 Vancouver Island and Sunshine Coast stops in six days.
Sensible BC director Dana Larsen is on a whirlwind tour to promote the campaign for a marijuana referendum.
After starting Aug. 22 in Nanaimo, Larsen will work his way up the Island to Courtenay by this Sunday. He stops at 3 p.m. at the Tim Hortons on Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay.
"We need volunteers and canvassers in every community," said Larsen. "My goal is to meet local supporters and register them as canvassers so they can collect signatures this fall."
Larsen has prepared legislation called The Sensible Policing Act, which would effectively decriminalize marijuana by stopping B.C. police from making searches or arrests for simple possession. The law also calls upon the federal government to repeal marijuana prohibition, so that B.C. can legally regulate its cultivation and sale.
The proposed law has been accepted by Elections BC, and Larsen will have 90 days to collect signatures from 10 per cent of the registered voters in every electoral district, beginning Sept. 9.
These 400,000 signatures can be collected only by people who have first registered as a canvasser.
"It's easy to register as a canvasser," said Larsen. "It just takes two minutes to fill out the form for Elections BC. I bring the forms with me, but people can also easily do it online.
"We will need at least 5,000 canvassers to have a good chance of success. If you've always dreamed of legalization, this is your chance to help make history!"
The tour concludes Tuesday in Sechelt.
Fort more information, visit http://SensibleBC.ca.
— Sensible BC