With the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, Albany County authorities are on high alert to enforce necessary action upon Laramie residents who are in violation of Wyoming marijuana laws.
Albany County Sheriff Dave O’Malley said that marijuana arrests peaked in Laramie during the year 2000 when Colorado approved medicinal marijuana use, according to the Laramie Boomerang.
O’Malley said that Laramie authorities are expecting another bump in arrests with recreational use now being legal under Colorado law and that in 2014, he believes his deputies will be handing more marijuana related offenses.
“I would be naive to believe that folks aren’t going to travel from Wyoming to Colorado to purchase marijuana legally and then transport it back to Wyoming,” he said.
Boulder Colorado native and University of Wyoming student, Travis Winter expressed belief in the likelihood of increased marijuana usage for the UW student body, but not for the non-student population of Laramie.
“I don’t think it will have a strong impact on the city because not many people move here to Laramie from out of state,” said Winter. “They do, however, come here to go to school so it would not surprise me if we see it become a larger issue in the student population.”
Winter believes that with the close proximity of Laramie to Colorado, the increase of marijuana use on campus will most likely increase due to the large number of students from Colorado.
“There are quite a few out of state students who live in Colorado and probably visit frequently,” said Winter.
“Currently there are no checkpoints between states meaning that border crossing is easier. The only way to catch people transporting across state borders is if there is another traffic violation or misdemeanor,” said Winter. “Even though it is not a popular drug here the accessibility will probably lead to an increase in use.”
While his concern is not high for marijuana becoming a serious issue in Laramie, he expressed a desire for authorities to put into practice more strict policies.
“I hope to see different methods and practices being put into place by Laramie police to ensure safety for drivers and students if the problem gets really bad,” said Winter. “There should be more extensive sobriety field tests for drivers and more security on the University campus if it becomes a bigger issue.”
Authorities believe that there is little danger in a distribution problem developing in Laramie due to the high prices Colorado dispensaries charge, and Highway Patrol and Albany County Sheriff’s office have not made any special enforcement plans.
Wyoming Highway Patrol Sgt. Stephen Townsend believes that officers will have a higher likelihood of running into more marijuana on Highway 287 as buyers attempt to bring back marijuana into the Laramie area.
“It will be business as usual for us,” said Townsend. However both the Highway patrol and Sheriff’s office have plans in place to respond accordingly if the need arises.
