Robert Celt
New Member
Members of a group trying to legalize medical marijuana and industrial hemp have been removed from the agenda of a state legislative committee that had been set to discuss their proposed initiative.
However, law enforcement and prosecutor groups are still listed on the agenda to testify on the issue.
State Sen. Leland Christensen, who said he removed the group from the agenda, said there will be an opportunity for representatives of the Wyoming chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws to speak in the public comment portion of the meeting.
"They're not being shut out of it," said Christensen, a Republican from Alta and chairman of the Joint Judiciary Committee. Christensen is running for Wyoming's open seat in the U.S. House.
Michele Irwin of Green River and Frank Latta, a Republican from Gillette who served in the Wyoming House from 2003 to 2005, planned to talk about Wyoming NORML's proposed initiative at the Joint Judiciary Committee meeting April 27 in Rock Springs. The group is collecting signatures in an attempt to get the Peggy A. Kelley Wyoming Cannabis Act on the ballot in 2018. The initiative would legalize medical marijuana and industrial hemp.
Irwin noticed the organization had been removed from a section of the committee's agenda during which legislators will review Wyoming marijuana laws and ballot initiatives. But two groups that are against legalization are still listed on the agenda – Wyoming County and Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police. The groups have previously testified they believe more marijuana will spur more crime and that the drug is harmful to people.
Irwin contacted a member of the Legislature's nonpartisan staff, who told her Christensen made the decision because NORML is a special interest group.
"He's not being very inclusive with this," said Irwin, who is also running for the state House as a Democrat. "It's one of these things where it's sort of like you're kind of (waiting) for him to say, 'Oh, we don't have any time for public comment.' But I plan on being there. I plan on speaking. This to me is so crazy."
Christensen said he doesn't anticipate a time crunch April 27.
"The message to those folks is you're welcome to come speak in the public comments section," he said.
He said he anticipates most of the discussion will focus on Wyoming's marijuana edible laws. Some judges have interpreted a part of state statute that criminalizes felony marijuana possession as not applying to edibles. The Judiciary Committee tried to fix the loophole in the law but it failed in the legislative session that ended in March.
"I'm not sure how the ballot initiative got on there," he said, referring to the agenda.
Christensen believes there is a difference between groups such as NORML, which he said is an interest group, and the police and prosecutors groups, which he said are not. Those groups represent people who have been elected or appointed to their job. They work with the public in government service. Their testimony is important, said Christensen, who previously worked in law enforcement.
"The laws we make directly affect those guys," he said.
Irwin said one of the reasons she's working on the proposed initiative is because she wants to educate the public on cannabis. She hopes it's an issue that would spur legislation.
"There's now 24 states that have legalized medical marijuana," she said. "There's a letter going to the U.N. this week that's talking about taking action globally on the War on Drugs. They're saying the War on Drugs has caused more harm than the drugs themselves. This is the kind of conversation that's gone on worldwide. But here in Wyoming, ours is: we're not going to put you on the agenda. Or we're going to take you off, because we were originally on."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Wyoming Group Behind Medical Marijuana Initiative Removed From Legislative Agenda
Author: Laura Hancock
Contact: Star Tribune
Photo Credit: AP
Website: Star Tribune
However, law enforcement and prosecutor groups are still listed on the agenda to testify on the issue.
State Sen. Leland Christensen, who said he removed the group from the agenda, said there will be an opportunity for representatives of the Wyoming chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws to speak in the public comment portion of the meeting.
"They're not being shut out of it," said Christensen, a Republican from Alta and chairman of the Joint Judiciary Committee. Christensen is running for Wyoming's open seat in the U.S. House.
Michele Irwin of Green River and Frank Latta, a Republican from Gillette who served in the Wyoming House from 2003 to 2005, planned to talk about Wyoming NORML's proposed initiative at the Joint Judiciary Committee meeting April 27 in Rock Springs. The group is collecting signatures in an attempt to get the Peggy A. Kelley Wyoming Cannabis Act on the ballot in 2018. The initiative would legalize medical marijuana and industrial hemp.
Irwin noticed the organization had been removed from a section of the committee's agenda during which legislators will review Wyoming marijuana laws and ballot initiatives. But two groups that are against legalization are still listed on the agenda – Wyoming County and Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police. The groups have previously testified they believe more marijuana will spur more crime and that the drug is harmful to people.
Irwin contacted a member of the Legislature's nonpartisan staff, who told her Christensen made the decision because NORML is a special interest group.
"He's not being very inclusive with this," said Irwin, who is also running for the state House as a Democrat. "It's one of these things where it's sort of like you're kind of (waiting) for him to say, 'Oh, we don't have any time for public comment.' But I plan on being there. I plan on speaking. This to me is so crazy."
Christensen said he doesn't anticipate a time crunch April 27.
"The message to those folks is you're welcome to come speak in the public comments section," he said.
He said he anticipates most of the discussion will focus on Wyoming's marijuana edible laws. Some judges have interpreted a part of state statute that criminalizes felony marijuana possession as not applying to edibles. The Judiciary Committee tried to fix the loophole in the law but it failed in the legislative session that ended in March.
"I'm not sure how the ballot initiative got on there," he said, referring to the agenda.
Christensen believes there is a difference between groups such as NORML, which he said is an interest group, and the police and prosecutors groups, which he said are not. Those groups represent people who have been elected or appointed to their job. They work with the public in government service. Their testimony is important, said Christensen, who previously worked in law enforcement.
"The laws we make directly affect those guys," he said.
Irwin said one of the reasons she's working on the proposed initiative is because she wants to educate the public on cannabis. She hopes it's an issue that would spur legislation.
"There's now 24 states that have legalized medical marijuana," she said. "There's a letter going to the U.N. this week that's talking about taking action globally on the War on Drugs. They're saying the War on Drugs has caused more harm than the drugs themselves. This is the kind of conversation that's gone on worldwide. But here in Wyoming, ours is: we're not going to put you on the agenda. Or we're going to take you off, because we were originally on."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Wyoming Group Behind Medical Marijuana Initiative Removed From Legislative Agenda
Author: Laura Hancock
Contact: Star Tribune
Photo Credit: AP
Website: Star Tribune
