Wyoming Citizens Against Normalization (WYCAN) wants Park County residents to have all the information about marijuana use through a variety of sources so they can make their own decisions.

“It was formed a year ago basically in response to a general lack of good substance abuse education particularly in the county area,” member Richard Jones said. “Stuff’s happening all over the place, there’s no counter information anywhere.”

On May 20, Jones led a presentation in Powell on the difference in marijuana potency now compared to decades ago.

“They’re thinking yeah, Grandma smoked a little joint back in the ’70s. Yeah, [at] 1%-3% THC. Today, those products are averaging 17-30% and other products that aren’t smokable products are up to 99% — dab, shatters, vapes and stuff,” Jones said. “The data now is coming out that these things are just devastating, particularly to the developing brain.”

Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R-Cody) attended the first WYCAN meetings and was present at the May 20 meeting as well. 

“It’s grassroots-based nonpartisan, and the focus is on education,” Rodriguez Williams said. “I think it’s important that people know the facts and make an educated decision on where they stand.”

Rodriguez-Williams said she is very opposed to legalization of THC.

“We have a lot to learn from states that have legalized [and the] impact that it has on states,” she said. 

An important factor in the normalization of marijuana is its commercialization and growing influence as an industry. Jones likened it to the commercialization of tobacco.

“The first thing is to make your product seem harmless, even beneficial: Medical marijuana, ‘Yeah, not only is it harmless, it’s good for you.’ So this is the Big Tobacco playbook. It’s tried and true snake oil salesmanship,” Jone said. “The second thing you have to do is make your product accessible ... So the marijuana industry has done exactly the same thing by having it accessible, by legalizing it, having it and getting the camel’s nose under the tent with the medical aspects of it.”

If anyone in Park County is interested in learning more about the issue or hosting a one hour presentation, WYCAN will do so free of charge, Rodriguez Williams said. 

WYCAN can be reached at WYCAN2022@gmail.com.