Resident urges Evansville council to ask state lawmakers to review Wyoming cannabis statutes

Ryan Perry, a resident of Evansville, told the council during public comment that several Wyoming cannabis statutes are outdated, overly broad and producing "real consequences for our community without improving public safety." He asked the council to communicate with the town's state delegation and "request a statutory review of these specific sections," naming multiple statutory citations and arguing the laws fail to distinguish medical use, personal possession and non-intoxicating products.

Perry listed statutes by number (transcript references included 35-7-10002; 35-7-1031C; 35-7-1031; 35-7-1036; and 35-7-1014D) and said that, under current law as he described it, someone using cannabis for pain management can be treated the same as someone trafficking drugs and that repeat simple-possession enhancements can escalate nonviolent offenses to felonies, with collateral consequences such as loss of voting or firearm rights and reduced employment opportunities. He urged the council to ask state lawmakers to consider expanding conditional discharge, narrowing intent-to-deliver inferences, and creating statutory protections for medical users.

A council member thanked Perry for the comment and noted that state offices and representatives can be difficult to reach while the legislature is in session; the speaker did not record a commitment to a formal referral or letter in the meeting minutes. Perry emphasized he was not asking the town to legalize cannabis but to request that the state review and modernize the cited statutes.

What happens next: The comment is part of the public record for the Feb. 9 meeting. The transcript does not show the council taking formal action to transmit Perry's request to the state delegation during this meeting.