Alec Schaffer
aschaff3@uwyo.edu
Wyoming voters could decide next election if medical marijuana and hemp growing will become legal in the state.
The initiative to legalize medical marijuana has received support from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML.
If NORML receives 25,000 signatures of registered Wyoming voters by February 2016, medical marijuana legalization will be on the 2016 general election ballot.
During the previous legislative session, the state legislature decided not to legalize medicinal use of marijuana. However, Wyoming allows citizens to bypass the state legislator through ballot initiative.
While Matt Mead said he is against the legalization of medical marijuana, the governor has created a task force to examine the potential health, societal and economic effects of legalization of medical marijuana.
The tasks force consists of state health officials, members from the Governors Council for Impaired Driving and members representing the Governors Office.
Additionally, Mead selected Representative James Byrd, D-Cheyenne, for the investigation because of his opposing views on the issues, according to a press release by from the Governor’s Office.
Byrd could not be reached to comment by the publication date.
The task force will present its finding to the state legislature during the next legislative session.
Regardless of the actions of the state legislature, Wyoming NORML Director Chris Christian remains optimistic about their ability to receive the 25,000 necessary signatures.
“People are excited,” Christian said.
The 25,000 signature required makes up 15 percent of Wyoming’s voting population.
Christian said the legalization of marijuana would help the economy, in addition to adding revenue to the state general fund.
In Colorado during 2014 and 2015 almost $6 million of tax revenue was generated by marijuana sales, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue.
Additionally the state of Colorado has issued over 600 medical Marijuana licenses.
However, the New York Times reported in May 2014 that since the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, drug related expulsions in schools have been on the rise.
An informal survey preformed by Denver’s Salvation Army Crossroad Shelter showed a 30 percent increase in the Denver homeless population since the legalization of marijuana.
While many believe marijuana is a gateway drug that could pose potential health risks to the community, Christian said she sees it differently.
“A Colorado study that has shown teen use goes down [once the marijuana became legal],” Christian said, “and overdoses are almost none existent.”
Such debate is the reason Mead created a task force to examine the potential effects of legalization of medical marijuana.
“The governor wanted accurate information so that voters can make an informed discussion,” Dave Bush, Matt Mead’s communication director, said.
