Editor’s note: The original version of this article stated that possession of marijuana was punishable by a maximum of six months imprisonment with a maximum fine of $750, but has been updated to clarify that time and fine is for any person using or under the influence of the drug.
JACKSON, Wyo. — While April 20 has become an annual unofficial holiday of sorts to celebrate marijuana use, don’t expect to be celebrating in Jackson Hole, or anywhere else in Wyoming, any time soon.
April 20, or rather 4/20, became code for smoking weed in the 1970s. And while neighboring states Montana, South Dakota, Utah and Colorado have legalized marijuana for medical and/or recreational uses, in Wyoming possession of up to three ounces of pot is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a fine of $1,000. Any person using or under the influences marijuana is subject to a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 6 months imprisonment and a maximum fine of $750.
Yet despite the outlaw of the substance, Wyoming isn’t totally free from the drug. In 2021, the Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers seized 7,200 pounds of marijuana from stopped vehicles. In Teton County, as of April 19 approximately 21 percent of Teton County Sheriff’s Office inmates were booked due to the possession or use of marijuana.
A 2020 survey by the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC) at the University of Wyoming shows that over half of Wyoming residents surveyed are in favor of legalizing marijuana in the state for adult personal use. Approximately 85 percent of Wyoming residents surveyed say they support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes if a doctor prescribes it.
But in 2022 the Wyoming House did not consider a bill, co-sponsored by Mike Yin (D) of District 16, decriminalizing marijuana for introduction.
