Local organizers of Sensible BC's campaign to trigger a referendum de-criminalizing marijuana use are crossing their fingers they will reach their target by the end of this weekend.
The campaign, similar in format to the one successfully waged to repeal the HST, was given 90 days to collect the signatures of 10 per cent of registered voters in each of B.C.'s 85 provincial electoral ridings.
In Richmond, that works out roughly to be 4,300 names from each of the three constituencies: Richmond-Steveston, Richmond Centre and Richmond East.
While exact numbers were not available, the campaign locally is believed to be playing catch-up as the Dec. 8 deadline to gather names nears.
Andrea Evans, Sensible BC's organizer in the riding of Richmond-Steveston said that even if the campaign falls short of its target, the exercise has managed to provide a public stage to discuss marijuana use.
"It's been a really good opportunity to educate people and get a conversation started because drug laws are changing all over the world," she said.
Plus, the campaign did manage to hit some highlights, Evans said, alluding to results in the riding of Vancouver West End, which according to Sensible BC reached its goal of 3,753 signatures about 40 days into the 90-day campaign.
Evans said there were other wins in Nelson, and even in Premier Christy Clark's new riding of Westside-Kelowna where the goal was 4,564.
In Richmond, Evans said while there was good support from a wide-ranging demographic, the fact there was no organizer for Richmond-East made the task more difficult.
