THC in Wyoming has been a hot-button issue for years, especially when neighboring states such as Colorado and Montana have made THC possession and consumption legal.

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Marcus Jones, the Operations Manager for Platte Hemp Company, has been working overtime trying to get signatures for a petition that would put the decriminalization of marijuana, as well as the legalization of medical marijuana in Wyoming, on the 2024 ballot.

That's not all Platte Hemp Company is doing, however. Recently, Jones and Gabe Knowlton, the Marketing Manager for PHC, spoke with various law enforcement officials and school district board members in Upton, Wyoming to explain one of the forms of THC that actually is legal in Wyoming: Delta 8-THC.

According to Forbes, Delta-8 THC is "a psychoactive and intoxicating cannabinoid that is  produced as a byproduct from CBD or Delta-9 THC. Consumption often leads to a more mild 'high' than delta-9 THC with less accompanying anxiety."

Delta-8 is actually legal in Wyoming because it is federally legal, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill which stated that hemp (from which Delta-8 is derived from) is legal to distribute, possess, and consume.

Area 52 writes that "Some states contradict this bill and implement local laws that restrict the sale and consumption of delta 8 THC. However, Wyoming isn’t one of these states and has legalized hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoids."

For now, anyway, Wyoming continues to allow the distribution of Delta-8 which means that CBD shops, such as Platte Hemp Company, can sell it.

Naturally, this has raised questions with law enforcement officials, as well as advocates and opponents of THC legalization in Wyoming.

Platte Hemp Company took it upon themselves to travel to Upton, Wyoming to offer a presentation to various officials on what exactly Delta-8 THC actually is, what it's not, the effects of it, and more.

Jones and Knowlton prepared a PowerPoint presentation to educate the members of the Upton Police Department, the Campbell County Sheriff's Office, DCI agents, and members of the Weston County School District Board. Then, they offered a Q&A session to answer all that they could about Delta-8 THC, CBD, and more.

The PowerPoint presentation covered a wide array of topics, including the extraction processes of Cannabinoids, the conversion process of Delta-8 into CBD, field testing kits used by law enforcement, THC warning symbols, why Delta-8 is legal in Wyoming, the Human Endocannabinoid System (ECS), what CBD actually is (and isn't), the benefits of CBD, what Delta-8 actually is (and isn't), the benefits of Delta-8, the differences between CBD and Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC and its benefits, various other cannabinoids, and more.

Jones and Knowlton told their audience the differences between CBD and THC, noting that CBD helps with anxiety, depression, panic disorder, OCD and PTSD, and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

They also explained why CBD may be more beneficial to users than anxiety and depression medications.

"The difference really, in what you're looking for as compared to going with a CBD over a basic anxiety medication, is that I can tell you exactly where this plant is grown, where it was extracted, where it was processed, what's all in it," Jones said. "They can't tell you that with pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals are maybe synthetic, they have terrible side effects. They have long term problems that we don't even know. CBD and cannabis and the marijuana plant has been around for along time. People have been using it for generations - for hundreds of thousands of years. That's why we're trying to push the natural side of this. You're not going to get negative side effects with CBD. You're not going to get bad reactions, or anything like that."

Jones also spoke on what Delta-8 THC is, as compared to CBD and other THC derivatives.

"Delta-8 THC is kind of the first alternate THC that really hit the market and this is the one that's the most popular out of all of them," Jones stated. "It is a naturally-occurring cannabinoid inside of the hemp plant. Delta-8 is not a synthesized cannabinoid. It is derived from CBD using isomerization. Essentially, what that means is that isolate powder is what they're doing. They're using CBD isolate powder after getting it completely separated, and converting that through a natural heating process to turn that into Delta-8. It is less Psychoactive than Delta-9 THC. It is an Indica-based cannabinoid, so it's going to be very relaxing, very sedating. You're going to feel feelings of relaxation. It's gonna help with sleep, muscle pains, joint spasms, and stuff like that. It's just really great for relaxing the mind and the body."

Jones then reiterated that Delta-8 is a federally legal cannabinoid.

Jones and Knowlton offered more information and then opened up the floor to answer some questions from their audience. Altogether, it was an afternoon full of information. Even more than that, however, it was a chance for people to come and understand exactly what CBD, THC, and Delta-8, 9, and 10 are and how they can all be beneficial to users.

Law enforcement officials were respectful to Jones and Knowlton, and vice versa. It was the first of many conversations to take place regarding THC use in Wyoming and the potential that it has.

"They received us very well," Jones told K2 Radio News. "They asked tons of questions and it meant a lot to me that they reached out, allowing us to start the conversation of marijuana in this state. I hope this shows the rest of Wyoming law enforcement that we are here to do everything by the book. We respect law enforcement and have always wanted to have a great relationship with them."

It may still take some time for marijuana to become legal in Wyoming but as long as people are willing to have a discussion, like Platte Hemp and Upton law enforcement did, this is a subject that doesn't have to be as black and white as it has been in the past. It seems as though more and more people are willing to speak up and, more importantly, they're willing to listen.

Days like this prove it.

Any law enforcement officials, government officials, teachers, or just everyday citizens who are curious about Delta-8 THC, CBD, or any other subject, can call Platte Hemp Company at 307-337-1044 or visit their Facebook page.

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