Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Filed in Wyoming with Bi-Partisan Support
Several bi-partisan lawmakers in Wyoming have sponsoreda bill to decriminalize the possession of up to three ounces of marijuana.
State Rep. Mark Baker (R-Rock Springs) filed House Bill 157, along with seven fellow Republicans and three Democrats who have signed on as co-sponsors of the measure.
The bill would reduce the penalty for possession of up to three ounces of marijuana in the state from a misdemeanor, which can land an offender in jail for up to a year and stiff fines of up to $1,000, to a civil violation punishable only by a $200 fine.
Cannabis infused products, such as edibles, would also be decriminalized if they contain 500 milligrams oftetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or less.
Previous attempts to decriminalizemarijuana possession in years past have failed, but those bills were introduced by Democratic lawmakers without any bi-partisan support in a Republican-dominated state legislature. The author of those bills,Rep. James Byrd (D-Cheyenne), is listed as a co-sponsor of the current proposal.
According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), state and local police make approximately2,100 marijuana possession ...
