A BC pot activist has received the green light to press ahead  with a petition that, if successful, would force the provincial government to  address the question of marijuana reform and could eventually see voters casting  ballots on the issue.

Dana Larsen is using the province’s unique initiative legislation to propose  a law that would effectively decriminalize pot by preventing police from  enforcing simple possession laws.

Elections BC announced Thursday that Larsen’s petition, which outlines  proposed changes to the provincial Police Act, has been approved, giving Larsen  and his Sensible BC campaign two months to sign up canvassers and prepare to  start collecting signatures on Sept. 9.

To succeed, Larsen must then collect the signatures of 10 per cent of  registered voters in each of the province’s 85 ridings by November. That would  either force a vote in the legislature or a province wide, non-binding  referendum.

“We’ve got a pretty good shot at it, I think, but it’s very challenging,”  Larsen said in an interview Wednesday.

“What I am confident about is that if we get on the ballot, we will win a  resounding majority in a referendum. We have incredible public support for  this.”

The push for decriminalization has gained steam in B.C., with several  prominent former politicians, including former Liberal attorney general Geoff  Plant and former NDP premier Ujjal Dosanjh, calling for the legalization and  regulation of marijuana. Their group, the Stop The Violence B.C. Coalition, has  pointed to opinion polls that suggest a majority of British Columbians agree  with them.

Thanks to CTV