Dear Editor:

Even in conservative Wyoming, attitudes toward cannabis are evolving rapidly. We’re not yet among the 36 states to legalize some form of cannabis use, but proposals have been seriously debated in the state Legislature and there has been talk of a referendum on permitting medical use of cannabis or decriminalizing its possession and cultivation. 

Nationwide surveys show about two-thirds of Americans back cannabis reform. A Rasmussen Reports survey found 54% of Republicans favor legalization. So, we welcome news from Washington that our party is offering a serious proposal to create a framework of federal cannabis regulation — the States Reform Act. Authored by U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., it would strike an appropriate balance between federal and state cannabis regulation. 

So far, with cannabis still illegal at the federal level, individual states have created a maze of confusing and sometimes unfair rules that don’t adequately protect public health and safety or create meaningful opportunities for anyone seeking economic opportunity in the newly legal marketplace.

Our neighbors in Colorado and Montana have legalized cannabis use for adults; we’re at the mercy of their laws when someone buys cannabis in those places and brings it back to Wyoming, even as it remains illegal here. 

The States Reform Act would bring badly needed order to this situation while still allowing states the leeway to manage cannabis as they see fit — even if that decision is to continue to prohibit it. As state lawmakers, we think this is a fair and workable approach.

Sincerely, 

State Rep. Mark Baker

Green River