Decriminalizing marijuana makes perfect sense

I have a confession to make. Like Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, I have smoked marijuana. If you have not, it’s very likely that you’ve came across the sweet and skunky smell while walking down Hastings, up Granville around Gastown, or through Kitsilano.

You have smelt the “Mary Jane” so much that you might find it hard to believe it’s actually illegal in British Columbia. Sensible BC aims to change this, and if you are like me and have dabbled in the occasional dube, it’s a campaign worthy of your support.

A 2012 Angus Reid survey found that 60 per cent of people in BC wanted marijuana to be legalized, and it’s likely that those people will come out to the polls and support its decriminalization. According to Sensible BC, our province recorded over 19,000 marijuana possession incidents in 2010 alone.

It needs to collect signatures from 10 per cent of registered voters in every BC electoral district.

In a National Post article from August 20 of this year, Chief Constable Jim Chu of the Vancouver Police Department said, “when confronted with simple possession of cannabis, [a police officer’s choice] is either to turn a blind eye or lay charges.’’

He is well aware that a ‘’simple’’ possession charge will result in a criminal record, and that future travel, employment, and citizenship opportunities for those individuals involved will be met with barriers. In order to address the issue, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police met last month and decided the best way to handle these simple incidents is to fine marijuana users.

Instead of wasting time, money, and resources on charges the police already want to do away with, the campaign has suggested writing a new law called the Sensible Policing Act. Under the new law, possession of cannabis would become decriminalized in our province. What this means is that our police can invest more time putting real criminals behind bars, making our province a safer place as a result.

Our province recorded over 19,000 marijuana possession incidents in 2010 alone.

Recently, our friendly Washington neighbours decided to legalize the whacky tabbacy, put their police to better use, and cash in on the dispensaries that will be sure to generate economic opportunities. It’s hard to say, but I think the Americans got this one right, and it’s due time for BC to take a small step in a similar direction — which is exactly what the new campaign by Sensible BC is doing.

What does it take for something like this to happen? It is no easy task, I can assure you. The Sensible BC Campaign started last week. In a 90 day period, it needs to collect signatures from 10 per cent of the registered voters in every single one of BC’s 85 electoral districts. That’s about 400,000 signatures. If you compare this campaign to the anti-HST campaign, it’s easy to see how challenging a motion like this truly is.

If you are interested and want to help with the campaign, you can visit www.sensiblebc.ca to find a canvaser in your elector district to register your support. If you are really enthusiastic you can even sign up to be a canvasser yourself. Because at the end of the day, putting our province’s resources where they are needed the most is a change I think we would all like to see.