Reefer Madness! Dire warnings plastered everywhere. W-e’ve come a long ways since those words were spread. Now there is a rapidly growing acceptance of marijuana, at the very least in a medical sense.
Back in the day, there were protests to make marijuana legal all across the states. In the days of Cheech and Chong, there were posters of the green cannabis splattered across America, and the future was a black market substance that would most likely be illegal for many decades to come. No one really thought that it would ever be legal, it was considered something that idiots partook in and that classy citizens would never touch. Now if someone could tell me what exactly qualifies an individual as a classy citizen…
We look to our neighboring state Colorado, where recreational marijuana has officially been legalized. Starting on January first, anyone over the age of 21 can legally use and possess small amounts of pot. The main question that this seems to be bringing up is do we need to start worrying about people being stoned all the time? Driving under the influence of pot? Getting hitched under the influence of pot? Going to class under the influence of pot? Trying to teach a class under the influence of pot? (Because honestly, who knows what they are doing in Fort Collins and Boulder on those campuses)
People almost seem to be forgetting that loads of citizens do all those tasks under the influence of alcohol, and have been for years. We are to the point where when we know someone who has had a DUI (or more than one) we just laugh it off. The thing is, if someone does drive under the influence of pot, they most likely will be driving about ten miles an hour and headed for the closest convenience store in search of munchies.
Laramie citizens have two things on their mind: Fort Collins is only an hour drive away. Can we go there and sneak it across? Well, if that’s the path you take, watch out for the sheriff’s department, where two deputies have certified narcotics detection dogs. That brings up the second thing. Are the police going to be patrolling the border for stoned drivers and drivers in possession? Just be aware that while our southern neighbor has legalized marijuana, it remains illegal in Wyoming.
If you feel the need, then by all means go to Colorado, have your fun there, and then come back to Wyoming drug free. That’s all the officials ask. Will marijuana ever be legal in Wyoming? Well…I’m not holding my breath.
