Legalizing marijuana would lift Wyoming

BY DOMINIQUE LYON

I started this article with facts and reasons why cannabis needs to be legalized.

But I’m also going to tell you why you should think outside this box you have been given.

For too long people have been painting this picture full of false images for us. When you hear cannabis, what do you think of? 

You probably think of that old hippie dude with a long hair and peace sign, right? Well, when I hear cannabis, I think about the little boy who needs CBD (cannabidiol) oil so he can go to school without fear of seizures. I think of the farmer who was about to lose everything before turning to hemp to save his farm. I think of that breast cancer victim who has finally found relief.

I also think about all the wonderful things cannabis can do for our Wyomingites

The truth is this, whether you are pro or con, cannabis legalization will benefit you. 

We are entering 2020, and science already has told us the facts. It’s time for us to listen.

It’s also time for you to take a stroll around Cheyenne and the other Wyoming cities. Look at Cheyenne schools like Baggs Elementary, McCormick Junior High and a few of the others. Potholes so big you could

lose your car in them; programs being cut due to low funding. Did you know that Wyoming is ranked 13th for education?

Now imagine what we could do for our children with the funding cannabis legalization will bring us. No more fighting over pools or cutting out extracurricular activities.

Now let’s also look at some other positives. 

Like our farmers. Our farmers face harsh weather constantly. Hemp is called nature’s perfect plant, and I can see why. You don’t need any herbicides, and it actually nourishes the soil it grows in. Crazy right? 

This one plant can make paper, biodegradable plastic, clothing, Hempcrete (a concrete substitute) and so much more. You can even use the hemp seeds to make flour, cooking oil and cattle feed.

So not only can you grow 10 tons per acre within four months, but you can feed your livestock and better your life. Hemp could even be turned into a highly proficient fuel-producing crop. Can you imagine what that could mean?

Our police force will no longer have to waste its time on something that should have never been illegal to begin with. Now maybe that jackass that just ran the red light and almost caused an accident might actually get a ticket. We’ll see crime go down because the actual criminals will be dealt with instead of ticketing the single mom of four who just needs a little help to sleep at night.  

Cannabis users are not criminals. They are doctors, farmers, teachers, sisters, nephews and neighbors. Billions around the world enjoy positive benefits from mind-altering drugs without even realizing it. Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and cannabis -- they all chemically effect our brains. We use them as crutches, which we all need in one way or another. 

It’s our choice how we use or misuse it. At least with cannabis there are no fatalities or overdoses. 

Right now, hemp and CBD are legal in Wyoming. So you may be asking: Why do we even need THC, which is the chemical that causes that marijuana “high”?

Well, CBD isn’t the only part that has amazing medical advantages. Did you know THC stimulates and grows brain cells as well? 

Cannabinoids have been discovered to naturally exist in our bodies. There are these cannabis-like substances in the human body that activate these so-called cannabinoid receptors. This discovery has opened up so many possibilities for new medicines from the many cannabinoids found in cannabis. These receptors are not just in the brain. They can also be found in many other parts of the body, including the immune, endocrine and reproductive systems.

FUN FACT: Cannabinoids are also found in human breast milk. Its these cannabinoids that tell newborn babies they need to eat and suck.

Cannabis, CBD, THC, etc. are effective medicines. There’s overwhelming evidence that cannabis helps with various diseases and afflictions.

These include cancers, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic pain, PTSD (post-traumatic distress order), arthritis, migraines and anxiety.

Right now, things like food stamps (SNAP) and other state programs are getting funding cuts while billions are spent trying to stop adults from using cannabis, a plant, that grows naturally and has never caused a death.

The only doorways cannabis open are the doors you choose to open. Most patients and users find those doors that lead to a better way of living and wellbeing.

One last thing before I leave you to think: 

We are the Wild West, take-no-shit Wyomingites. To live here you need thick skin and a big heart. 

Prohibition denies us our most basic human right. Prohibition takes away our right of sovereignty over our own bodies and gives this power to the government. 

An average of $2.4 billion is spent annually on the “War on Drugs.” That means billions in potential taxes are going to drug cartels. That’s money we can tax and regulate like alcohol to better our state, our home.

Dominique Lyon is president and founder of Legalize Wyoming.