After more debate over whether they are going too far, the Wyoming Senate gave final approval to a bill that makes marijuana laced food and drink a felony if someone has over three ounces in their possession.
Senators clarified what a constitutes a felony and rejected amendments to require prosecutors to prove that the amount of marijuana in the edible exceeds three ounces. Laramie Democrat Chris Rothfuss said it’s not difficult to measure such things, but Senate Judiciary Chairman Leland Christensen said the Wyoming Crime lab does not currently have that ability.
Sheridan Republican Bruce Burns said prosecutors should have to prove that someone is committing a felony. He added that people could get locked up for the wrong reasons.
“I’ve got an ounce of pot, that is a misdemeanor, I throw it into a brownie mix and now it is a felony. And if you are going to try and convict somebody of a felony, which is something that’s going to stick with them for the rest of their lives, I think you should go through the expense of going to the lab and getting that THC level.”
Fellow Sheridan Senator Dave Kinskey does not expect more people to get locked up.
“The police are busy, the Sheriffs are busy, the prosecutors are busy, they’ve got no interest in sending people to prison for a brownie. And you won’t get a conviction out of a jury. If it’s brownies in these sorts of things it’s because there are brownies and there’s large volumes of them and it’s clear the person is a dealer.”
The Senate passed the bill, which now goes to the House for further debate.
