Check out this new video, created by the Marijuana Policy Project, a US group that was behind the marijuana referendum victories in Washington and Colorado.

With Father’s Day coming up tomorrow, the video portrays a young man writing a note to his dad to let him know how he feels about marijuana.

The goal is to demonstrate how easy it is to start a conversation about the issue with loved ones who might still have qualms about making marijuana legal for adults.

Thanks so much for watching and sharing the video.

It’s been a busy few weeks for our team at Sensible BC, and we’ve still got a ton of work to do this summer!

With the election over, we can now concentrate on our main goal. We are focused on putting everything in place so that we can gather the 400,000+ signatures we need to collect this September to November, to qualify for a BC marijuana referendum.

We only have 3 months left to prepare!

BUILDING THE TEAM

We’ve been steadily building our strength and numbers. We’ve got over 32,000 fans on Facebook, and our emails go out to over 12,500 people! We’ve also recently identified thousands of new supporters with our province-wide phone campaign.

We now have more than 30 Local Organizers in place – that’s about a third of the total number we’re shooting for. It’s a great start, but we still need many more people to step up and take on a leadership role in their community.

Check out the list of local organizers. If there’s one in your area, contact them and say hello. If there isn’t one in your town, consider taking on that role.

Local organizers are expected to act as the focus point for their area. We will send you materials, give you some training and assistance, and help you get in contact with local volunteers.

JOIN THE SENSIBLE ARMY

We recently ran an auto-dialing campaign which identified thousands of people across the province who say they want to volunteer for our campaign. Now we need your help to get those people active and working!

Come on down and do a shift at the phone bank we’re running out of our Vancouver office. Teams are calling new volunteers most nights from 5-8pm. I guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself, make some new friends and earn some good karma. I will be in the office making calls myself most evenings.

We also need help getting our thousands of new supporters entered into our database. Canvassers across BC are steadily collecting names and addresses, if you’re a decent typist then we can use your skills at our office.

If you can’t make it to our office, that’s ok. Send us an email to volunteer@sensiblebc.ca and we can get you set up to help out from your home and in your community.

Here’s a more complete list of all the ways you can get involved with Sensible BC.

SUMMERTIME FUN

I’m going to be touring the province again this summer. Last winter I toured 50 cities and towns to promote Sensible BC, and we will be doing the same kind of thing over the coming months.

If there’s a local festival, farmers market or other big public event coming up in your area, let us know! We’ll be trying to hit as many events as we can, to register supporters and promote the referendum campaign.

Even if we can’t make it, we can help you to attend and promote Sensible BC in your area.

I hope to see you volunteering at our office, or while I’m touring around BC!

Bye for now!

Dana Larsen, Sensible BC Director
dana@sensiblebc.ca

PS. Don’t forget that lottery winner Bob Erb is matching every donation we receive! Consider kicking down a fixed monthly contribution to maximize your support.

Recent polling shows overwhelming support in BC for the Sensible Policing Act, including majority support among voters from every political party affiliation.

Poll Results

Question one: Would you support decriminalization of marijuana possession in BC with the Sensible Policing Act?

     Support: 73%

     Neutral: 10%

     Oppose: 17%

     (Click image to see breakdown by political party affiliation.)

Question two: Would you support BC calling upon the federal government to repeal marijuana prohibition, so that BC can legally tax and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco?

      Support: 70%

      Neutral: 11%

      Oppose: 19%

     (Click image to see breakdown by political party affiliation.)

“The Sensible Policing Act has two parts,” said Dana Larsen, director of the Sensible BC campaign. “The first part would essentially decriminalize possession in BC, by instructing police to stop spending any time or resources on detaining people for personal marijuana possession.”

“The second part calls upon the federal government to repeal marijuana prohibition, so that BC can legally regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco.”

Both parts of the legislation received over 70% support among British Columbians, with less than 20% opposed.

The poll also showed that 50% of British Columbians would be more likely to vote for a candidate who called for marijuana reform, with only 16% less likely to do so.

“The Sensible Policing Act has over two-thirds support sustained across every age group, and across urban and rural areas,” said Larsen. “Even a majority of Conservative party voters said they supported both parts of the Sensible Policing Act.”

“We’re preparing for a massive signature-gathering effort this September,” said Larsen. “If we can collect the required signatures in a three-month period, then there will be a provincial referendum on the Sensible Policing Act in September 2014.”

However, Larsen questioned the need for a referendum when there is such overwhelming, cross-partisan support.

“Passing the Sensible Policing Act would be wildly popular, save our province well over $50 million over the next four years, and eventually lead to big tax revenues from a legal marijuana industry,” said Larsen.

“Hopefully our next Premier will do the right thing and avoid the need for an expensive referendum. The people of British Columbia are definitely ready for a sensible marijuana law.”

Polling was conducted by Strategic Communications. Results are drawn from a representative sample of 914 adult British Columbians over the period March 12-14, 2013. These data were statistically weighted to ensure that the sample’s gender, age, education and regional composition reflects that of the actual BC population according to the 2006 Census.

First thing to do: Click here to register!

Sensible BC is working to collect the signatures required to have a provincial referendum on decriminalizing marijuana in BC.

Right now we’re in the preparation and pre-registration phase. We’re getting volunteers in place, and building up our database of supporters so we’ll have a headstart for the beginning of the official signature-gathering campaign in September.

We will only have three months to collect signatures from 10% of registered voters in every electoral district, and we’re starting that 90-day clock in September.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW

Right now here’s the things we need help with. If any of these things interest you, then contact us at volunteer@sensiblebc.ca, or call our office at 604-343-4684. . You can also call or email your local organizer if there is one in your community.

#1 – Data entry. We’re collecting info from thousands of supporters all around BC, but many of those names come in on sign-up sheets and we need volunteers to enter that information into our database. (This is something that can be done in our Vancouver office, but we can also send you scans to type in from home.)

#2 – Phone calls. We have identified thousands of people who say they want to volunteer for our campaign, but we need more volunteers in place to call them all! We can give you some training to join the phonebank in our Vancouver office, but we can also set you up to do this from home if you have a decent internet connection and a computer.

#3 – Local canvassing. We have teams currently going out in communities across BC, doing mainstreeting, bringing awareness to the campaign and pre-registering people. We do a training session first and send people out with some experienced canvassers. It can be a lot of fun, you get to make new friends and meet new people. You’ll be surprised at the support you will get! Just print out this form, get people to put down their info, and then send it to us so we can enter it into our database.

#4 – Donating funds. We’re working to keep costs down and get the most out of every dollar we spend, but a campaign like this costs a lot of money. We’re hoping to raise a million dollars, and so far we’re about a quarter of the way there.

Also, lottery winner Bob Erb is currently matching all the donations we receive, so your contribution will be doubled as long as you make it soon!

#5 – Local leadership. We are putting local leaders in place in communities all around the province. This local organizer would be the contact for new volunteers in the area, would lead canvassing teams, be the go-to person for supplies and help keep volunteers motivated and organized. We can offer supplies, support and a subsidy to cover time and expenses.

#6 – Get political. As soon as the election is over, make an appointment to see your local MLA and talk to them about Sensible BC. Tell your local representative why you support marijuana reform, and how you expect the BC government to take action on this issue.

#7 – Be creative. Write a song, make a painting, put on a play about Sensible BC. If you have a talent, find a way to put some of it to use in our cause. Find ways to surprise us and come up with ideas or creations that we hadn’t imagined.

#8 – Armchair activism. Follow Sensible BC on Facebook and Twitter, and repost our stuff. Link to Sensible BC in online forums and comment fields. Send emails about Sensible BC to politicians and newspapers. Post our banners and graphics on your website.

#9 – Spread the word. Talk to people about Sensible BC. Ask your friends what they think about the marijuana referendum campaign. Encourage people to get involved and help make history in BC. Talk to local store and business owners, and get them to display our materials and sign-up forms.

Click here and let us know how you plan to help out!

Or contact us at volunteer@sensiblebc.ca, or call our office at 604-343-4684.

I will be touring the province again once the election is over, beginning with events in the lower mainland for a few weeks, and then moving on around to other regions. I hope to meet you on the summer campaign trail!

The main thing for us to accomplish over the coming months is to build awareness and support for our referendum campaign, to establish a solid team of volunteers and canvassers, and to get ready for a massive signature-gathering effort this September.

Are you ready to make history?

Dana Larsen, Sensible BC Director
dana@sensiblebc.ca – http://sensiblebc.ca

It’s been a great week for marijuana reform in BC!

Marijuana and the Sensible Policing Act has been brought up over and over again at All-Candidates Meetings and debates across the province.

We are shifting the debate, and forcing BC politicians to recognize that this is a provincial issue.

In the TV leaders debate, marijuana was one of only three questions which they took form the public. All four candidates were asked if they were in favour of decriminalization or legalization of marijuana. Watch the video here.

NDP Leader Adrian Dix said he supported decriminalization, and that the federal government’s expanded penalties for marijuana will cause significant problems in BC.

Liberal Leader Christy Clark sidestepped the question, attacked Dix for supporting decriminalization, and said she wanted to focus only on “growing the economy.”

Green Leader Jane Sterk said her party would treat problematic drug use as a health issue and not a criminal one, and work to change prohibition.

Conservative Leader John Cummins said it was an “important question” and that there needed to be a “discussion with the federal government and our neighbours to the south.”

In an interview the next day, Cummins explained that “I don’t see making a criminal out of somebody who has a small quantity of marijuana.”

This is consistent with a poll we commissioned in March, which showed majority support for marijuana decriminalization and legalization from every age group and every kind of voter in BC. Even BC Conservatives want to decriminalize!

Our challenge now is not to convince more people that the marijuana laws need to change. What we need to do is to educate the people and politicians of BC that marijuana is not just “a federal issue.”

Please take the time to speak with your friends, family and political candidates about Sensible BC. Remind them that BC covers all the costs of enforcing the failed war on marijuana. Our province pays for the police, the courts, the prisons and also the social costs of marijuana prohibition.

We’re also missing out on the tax revenues to be generated from a legal and regulated marijuana industry in BC.

The Sensible Policing Act will start to change all that. We can decriminalize marijuana possession in BC as the first step to a sensible marijuana law.

Make sure our politicians know that we expect them to act on this important issue, to pass the Sensible Policing Act, and to tell the federal government that we demand an end to marijuana prohibition, so that BC can legally regulate marijuana in a similar way to alcohol and tobacco.

Bye for now!

Dana Larsen, Sensible BC Director

dana@sensiblebc.ca – http://sensiblebc.ca

Here are a few questions that we recommend asking at all-candidate meetings in your riding to see where each candidate stands on sensible marijuana policy in BC.

1. Given that the number of possession charges has doubled since 2005, would you support saving taxpayer dollars by adopting the Sensible Policing Act which would decriminalize marijuana possession in British Columbia?
2. Are you in favour of stopping gang related violence through the decriminalization of marijuana by introducing the Sensible Policing Act?
3. Would you support a sensible marijuana policy to regulate marijuana like alcohol in BC?

Don’t let candidates in your riding get away with claiming that marijuana policy is solely a federal responsibility because British Columbia has the power to set policing priorities.

BC politicians take stances on issues of federal jurisdiction all the time, like Coast Guard stations, pipelines, and the long gun registry. So surely our premier & MLAs can stand up for marijuana – one of BC’s largest industries!

The people of our province are ready for marijuana law reform, but Adrian Dix and Christy Clark are ignoring the subject.

Let’s make sure our politicians know that BC voters won’t let them off the hook!

This election period is a great time to spread the word about the Sensible BC campaign.

Here’s three things you can do:

1) Talk to your friends, family and co-workers about Sensible BC and why it is time for our province to decriminalize marijuana.

2) Go to all-candidates meetings in your area, and tell the candidates to support Sensible BC and the provincial decriminalization of marijuana.

3) Send Christy Clark, Adrian Dix and Jane Sterk an email, asking them to support the Sensible BC decriminalization campaign.

Here’s a video of Sensible BC being discussed at an all-candidates meeting in Nelson.

If someone tells you that marijuana is “a federal issue,” you can remind them that Elections BC has approved the Sensible Policing Act as within provincial jurisdiction, and also that BC pays hundreds of millions a year for the police, courts and prisons needed to process marijuana offenders.

BC politicians take a stand on issues of federal jurisdiction like Coast Guard stations, pipelines, the long gun registry and the supervised injection site. So surely our premier can stand up for marijuana, especially since it’s one of our province’s largest industries!

Thanks as always for your enthusiasm and support.

DANA LARSEN, Sensible BC Director

PS: Don’t forget to give us a Like on Facebook, and share our campaign news online!