Sensible Washington Announces Paid Gatherers.

The non-profit organization Sensible Washington announced today, to their over 12,000 Facebook followers, that they would be paying signature gatherers for the remainder of the time they have left to get Initiative 1149 on this November’s ballot.

Initiative 1149 would legalize cannabis for adults by fully removing state civil and criminal penalties for marijuana related offenses (short of supplying to a minor and driving while under the influence). Sensible Washington has run the I-1068 (their 2010 legalization initiative), and the current I-1149 campaigns strictly through volunteers, but with less than two weeks to collect around 200,000 signatures, Sensible Washington has decided to use a recent burst of grass-roots raised income to pay gatherers – both volunteers and professionals – $0.10 per valid signature. This doesn’t come out to much under most any circumstance, but given the importance of this issue and the passion already behind it, this could be a final plea that has the possibility of increasing enthusiasm and the effort given by many in these final days. At these rates, it would cost Sensible Washington a mere $24,000 to all but guarantee a position on the ballot.

This also isn’t a bad excuse for many to get out there and put in those extra hours to try and end the destructive policy of prohibition. Someone who decides to go full time in these final days could find themselves with an extra hundred or two dollars and the knowledge that they’re helping to bring positive reform.

If you live in Washington State, you can visit https://sensiblewashington.org/blog/ to print out a copy of the petition on 11×17 paper (a legal requirement) to collect from friends, family and at events, concerts, etc. To get paid, simply sign the back of the petition with your name, phone number  and/or address, and  “pay me” written at the bottom.

This is an issue that shouldn’t wait until 2012 to be brought to a vote. Since there’s a method of reform for us in 2011 with I-1149, it doesn’t have to.

 

 

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