U.S. Attorney for District of Wyoming: Federal Cannabis Possession Laws Will Be ‘Rigorously Prosecuted’

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming last week said simple possession of cannabis offenses will be “rigorously prosecuted” on federal land after the Department of Justice in September rescinded policies from the Joe Biden administration to end federal prosecution of simple possession.   

In a statement, U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming Darin D. Smith, said his office is “committed to using every prosecutorial tool available to hold offenders accountable.”   

“Marijuana possession remains a federal crime in the United States, irrespective of varying state laws.” — Smith in a press release 

In October 2022, then-President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon for all federal cannabis possession charges. Those pardons included individuals with charges stemming from possession in parks owned by the federal government. 

In the statement, Smith’s office said reforms enacted during the Biden administration “significantly curtailed federal prosecutions of misdemeanor marijuana offenses.” 

NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano told the Associated Press that the policy shift “seems like a misplaced use of limited federal resources” but noted that federal authorities never stopped enforcing cannabis laws under the Biden administration.    

Smith was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi this year.