Dodging the Bullet - Wyoming lawmakers do right thing with bill, but more education is needed about the dangers of marijuana

by Wyoming Liberty Group

Wyoming just dodged a bullet, and we should all be thankful. The state Senate wisely rejected an ill-conceived bill that would have complicated the problem of marijuana in the Cowboy State. But we can't rest easy.

That's because another bullet will likely be heading towards our state sometime soon. If history is any guide, pro-pot forces aren't done with Wyoming. They've been trying to legalize marijuana here for years. Greed knows no bounds, does it?

So, first, kudos to the state Senate for voting against the bill known as HB 30. But the legislative process was filled with all kinds of pitfalls and misunderstandings—which only underscores the need for more education about the hazards and nuances of marijuana.

Let's back up a sec. The bill, it seems, went through more iterations than a cat with nine lives.

At first, the concern was that pro-pot forces would try to pull a fast one by getting an amendment introduced that would have decriminalized the possession of under three ounces of marijuana.

Fortunately, that potential problem was averted.

But there was another problem. The bill sought to classify as a misdemeanor if a person was caught with three ounces or less of marijuana, regardless of the form of the illegal drug. Over three ounces, and it would have been a more serious felony.

Sounds pretty straight forward—at first blush. But things aren't as obvious as that, especially when it comes to marijuana.

The problem is that marijuana comes in different forms, not just the cluster of dried leaves known as "flower," or "weed." Marijuana also comes in a variety of concentrates, including oils, waxes and tinctures. And each form of marijuana can contain a different level of the key psychoactive ingredient that makes the person high—tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

Bottom-line: Three ounces doesn't begin to get at the problem of marijuana.

Here's an example of the folly of that approach: Let's say a teenager travels over the border to Colorado, where marijuana is legal, and buys a cookie infused with 10 milligrams of THC, a relatively small amount, but the cookie weighs four ounces. The teenager then comes back to Wyoming, where he's caught with the illegal substance. He'd be facing a felony.

But, on the other hand, let's say a teenager buys marijuana in the dry flower form with, say, 10,000 milligrams of THC—much more potent. But the weed only weighs two ounces. And he's caught with it in Wyoming. That would be a lesser charge, a misdemeanor.

Where's the logic in that?

Here's where we get to the problem of unintended consequences. Something might look good on the surface, like a bill aimed at curbing marijuana possession. That is, until you take a look at the fine print.

Why, for instance, would three ounces be the dividing line between a misdemeanor and a felony?

In fact, how much is three ounces of marijuana? As it turns out, it's a lot. Indeed, even two ounces of the typical weed would be far more than the average smoker has at any moment, according to authorities. As a matter of fact, two ounces of dry leaf marijuana might not fit in the typical pants pocket. What's more, the street price of three ounces of marijuana in parts of New York is about $600. That amount is not for just casual use.

Even marijuana shops in states where it's legal often limit the amount someone can buy to about one ounce of so-called flower, or five grams—a fraction of an ounce—of concentrates with higher levels of THC.

It almost goes without saying that today's marijuana is not nearly the same as the weaker weed of Woodstock in the 1960s. The marijuana industry has cultivated many strains of marijuana that have far higher concentrations of THC, the mind-altering substance. The result? Users can often experience such symptoms as confusion, anxiety, paranoia—not to mention a slew of concerning physiological effects, such as a fast heart rate, elevated blood pressure and even hallucinations, nausea and repeated vomiting.

It gets worse.

Studies indicate that marijuana users can develop, among other things, respiratory illnesses, and the compounds found in marijuana can lower the immune system's reaction to infections.

Here's the irony: Pro-pot forces put forth the propaganda that marijuana is medicine when in fact it is a hazard to people's health—even at 3 ounces.

Is this what we want for Wyoming?