Wyoming Bill Seeking to Ban Synthetic Intoxicating Hemp Products Moves to Legislature

A bill to ban intoxicating hemp products in Wyoming is moving to the Legislature after passing the Joint Judiciary Committee in a 6-8 vote on Monday, WyoFile reports. However, following the vote, at least two lawmakers, including the co-chair of the committee, said the proposal would need more work to get through both chambers.

State Sen. Bill Landen (R) told WyoFile he doesn’t “have any doubt that this is a work in progress” but likes the fact that moving it out of committee is a step in “a necessary direction.”

The committee in September considered similar legislation but ultimately scrapped the plan after pushback from the state’s hemp companies. State Rep. Art Washut (R) previously told WyoFile that “The first draft went too far in terms of causing a threat” to the state’s hemp farmers, and lawmakers “didn’t want to go there.”

The proposal approved on Monday would ban the addition of “synthetic substances” to hemp and would prohibit hemp products from containing more than 0.3% of any type of THC on a dry weight basis, including delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC. The measure defines “synthetic substances” as “any synthetic THC, synthetic cannabinoid or any other drug or psychoactive substance.”

State Rep. Barry Crago (R), during Monday’s hearing, said he would not vote in favor of the law of “for one instance” it feels like it will ban CBD products.

“…And I’m guessing most everybody on the committee is not going to vote for it,” he said.

Marcus Jones, operations manager for Platte Hemp Company, noted that there are concerns about the definitions in the bill, including “synthetic” and its lack of definition of “psychoactive,” which could target CBD products.

“There’s CBD, which is considered a non-psychoactive, but by definition, it is a psychoactive because it alters your mood state,” Jones said during the hearing. “It elevates your mood state.”

The bill aims to outlaw delta-8 and delta-10 THC products, despite the state already having a law on the books imposing such a ban; however, a state Crime Lab expert has testified that there is no way to differentiate between synthetic and natural delta-8 compounds.