Sensible B.C. endorses Gregor Robertson and the whole Vision slate for Vancouver city council

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      One of the province’s top advocates for marijuana reform has endorsed Gregor Robertson for mayor and the entire Vision Vancouver slate for city council.

      “Robertson and Vision have been most consistent in their support for legalization, they've followed a prudent course on cannabis dispensaries, and they have sensibly made possession a low priority for the VPD,” said Dana Larsen quoted in a November 10 media release. “We'd like to see Vancouver continue on its current path.”

      The Sensible B.C campaign director is best known for leading a signature drive through 2013 that aimed to trigger a referendum on the question of decriminalizing recreational marijuana in B.C. It failed after garnering just over half of a the 400,000 signatures required from across the province.

      “Our mandate is to support the candidates who are the most supportive of marijuana reform and who have the best chance of winning,” Larsen said. “Gregor Robertson and Vision Vancouver meet both those criteria.”

      The election is scheduled for November 15. Advanced polling stations are accepting votes now.

      In addition to Roberston, the candidates Larsen endorsed for council are Heather Deal, Kerry Jang, Raymond Louie, Geoff Meggs, Andrea Reimer, Niki Sharma, Tim Stevens, and Tony Tang.

      There are 10 seats on Vancouver city council. To fill the two remaining seats, Sensible B.C. also endorsed Green candidate Adrianne Carr and COPE’s Sid Chow Tan.

      “Carr has been a longstanding proponent of legalization and has supported tolerance towards cannabis dispensaries while on council,” the Sensible B.C. release states. “Tan is probably the most pro-cannabis candidate for council of any party, and has called on all residents of Vancouver to grow eight cannabis plants at home.”

      The only major political party for which Sensible B.C. expressed no support is the NPA.

      On October 22, the Straight reported that NPA mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe proposed introducing a class of business licence specifically for dispensaries.

      “We would make sure that there is a good licensing process to determine how dispensaries ought to be overseen by the city, and set what are their conditions,” LaPointe said.

      That article noted there were very few differences between any of the mayoral candidates’ plans for medicinal marijuana storefronts, of which there are 46 in Vancouver.

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      Comments

      12 Comments

      Yeesh

      Nov 10, 2014 at 7:36pm

      "they've followed a prudent course on cannabis dispensaries"

      If by "prudent course" Dana means "they've tolerated my business model, party on, dudes!" then sure. If by "prudent course" we mean the unregulated free-for-all of extracts made with god-knows-what-solvents, etc. being sold over the counter, then not so much.

      The status quo is an affront to everyone who believes in the rule of law---basically everyone who isn't either a statist criminal or a dropout criminal. That leaves what, basically nobody?

      Fantastic!

      Nov 11, 2014 at 9:38am

      Endorsing a sleazeball candidate whose version of Vancouver--and thusly his priorities--doesn't extend eastward beyond the stadiums is one thing. Endorsing him because he lets you get stoned in peace is just about the stupidest goddamn thing I have heard in a long time (and that's saying something for BC politics). Despite being a borderline socialist, I am almost on the Kirk LaPointe bandwagon right now just so I can see Mayor Moonbeam punted to his home planet.

      Corporate Pot Heads

      Nov 11, 2014 at 9:50am

      I notice there is no number to back up Sensible's claim. HOw many people were arrested for possession of drugs in Vancouver last year. Cut the rhetoric and produce the numbers. I looked at the last VPD report, easily accessible on line and it states that in 2012 the VPD arrested 864 people on Cannabis charges and in 2013 they arrested 1048, an increase of +19.6%, which rebuts Sensible's claims. So the question is why is Sensible aligning itself with the deplorable corporate, developer-friendly political party, Vision Vancouver? It probably has something to due with a lack of serious politics and a simple-minded need to cultivate the powerful. Simple dime-store Machiavellianism (sorry for the spelling). Don't look to the corporate pot lobby to look after our real interests, just their back room power interests.

      bobo

      Nov 11, 2014 at 12:16pm

      Yeah, I don't think the recommendation of a bunch of stoners is going to influence anyone.

      Dana Larsen

      Nov 11, 2014 at 6:08pm

      To Corporate Pot Head, we're not saying the VPD ignore all cannabis offences. But the vast majority of those 1,048 marijuana offences were simple seizures that did not include charges. There's no question that Vancouver is the most cannabis-friendly major city in Canada.

      To Bobo, Vancouver dispensaries serve tens of thousands of patients. We're a growing block of voters that should not be ignored.

      Cannabis and drug policy are important issues to many Vancouver voters.

      Martin Dunphy

      Nov 11, 2014 at 6:18pm

      I always wondered where those hundreds of pot seizures ended up, since there would be no need for "evidence" if no charges were laid.
      Paperwork is so messy and inconvenient anyway.

      Don't worry, Martin

      Nov 12, 2014 at 12:07am

      We burned every last bit of it in the cement kiln. And I mean truckloads. Took half the night.

      Dale

      Nov 12, 2014 at 5:29am

      And just think for a moment,, All those truck loads that you burned up could have helped thousands of medical users..
      You should maybe help those in need instead of hurting them with your attitudes..
      Grow up British Columbia, There are more medical users out there then there was two years ago and more to come, Marijuana helps people and it has been here for a millennium and will be here for many more millennium, it's time to stand up for the belittled and help them with their cause, don't you think..Just because you don't use marijuana does not mean everyone should not use marijuana, People need a herb to help them in their everyday lives, I myself use medical marijuana as marijuana helps me with my pain suffered from fibromyalgia, arthritis, epilepsy and just being able to get out of bed,
      if I did not smoke marijuana, I would probably be a chemically induced idiot by following my GP doctors wishes, yes, everyone should maybe vote for legalization of marijuana and help get the chemicals off of the streets and out of the pharmacies and maybe there would be less of our tax dollars used for needless busts of marijuana and more for Cocaine and LSD.

      Travis Lupick

      Nov 12, 2014 at 9:38am

      An article I wrote in July 2014 that provides some information related to questions people are raising in the comments above:
      "Marijuana offences are up but Vancouver police stress they’re still soft on pot"
      http://bit.ly/1jqlEuj

      Also from July 2014: "Nearly 75,000 Canadians were busted for marijuana offences in 2013"
      http://bit.ly/WNs0Kl

      Rod Stiebel

      Nov 12, 2014 at 12:19pm

      I'll say it again... I now live in Victoria, but even though you guys believe in Gregor for pot reform, as I do, he is, in fact, a Slimy Politico of the worst kind, and, if I lived in Van, I would NOT vote for him...he is slimy, sneaky and two faced....careful who you end up in bed with! There are much better allies of Sensible BC...Pot cannot be the ONLY issue...