'How is this legal?'

EVANSTON — “How is this legal?” has recently become a common phrase in Evanston as residents have noticed Wild Cannabis, a hemp shop which will soon occupy a former restaurant on Bear River Drive.

But according to Shane England, the managing partner of the hemp shop, its products are not only legal but healthy.

“In essence, our body is built to take in this medicine from the moment we’re born,” he said.

England, who has a background in field medicine from years of military service and more than two decades of holistic healthcare experience, said, “We are all born with an endocannabinoid system, which is basically an internal system built to handle cannabinoids, which promote healing.”

He said mother’s milk contains cannabinoids which interact with this system, calming children and boosting immunity to disease.

Wild Cannabis has operated in Wyoming since May 2022, when the company was incorporated in Sheridan under the name Mellow Yellow Hemp Co. It has had an online presence in the state at http://www.mycannaplug.com since last year and ships nationwide through the U.S. Postal Service.

Wild Cannabis is slated to open as a brick and mortar store in Evanston later this month.

The products sold by Wild Cannabis are legal following multiple legislative actions in the past decade.

The 2014 Farm Bill began allowing cannabis research to take place in universities and elsewhere, and allowing cultivation of the substance on farmland.

In December of 2018, an additional Farm Bill was signed into law. It removed hemp as an illegal substance, defining it as cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) and likewise legalized cannabis derivatives with delta 9 THC concentrations of no more than 0.3%, measured on a dry weight basis, based on the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act.

Other naturally occurring minor THC derivatives were addressed in the bill, allowing for an explosion of research and products entering the market.

“Cannabis” and “marijuana” in the past have been essentially synonymous, England said, but today hemp is the “new cannabis,” and is distinguished strictly by the different percentages of delta 9, and not any of the other THC derivatives or cannabinoids.

“Today, hemp has a more robust profile of THC derivatives than marijuana does,” England said, “though you wouldn’t think that’s the case.”

This is simply because all THC compounds except for delta 9 are considered hemp.

“We can naturally have a more robust, full-spectrum, potent product than you can get at many marijuana medical dispensaries,” England said.

As such, hemp products are federally legal, and Wyoming abides by federal law.

Dispensaries in medical marijuana states focus on isolating THC, England said, at the expense of other cannabinoids.

“They may pack 100 milligrams of THC into their gummy, but that’s all they put in there,” England said. “They don’t put the full spectrum of cannabinoids in them in many cases.”

He said cannabis can be useful for treating pain, both as an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory.

According to research, it may also be used against stress, anxiety, trauma, depression and seizures, he said, adding that certain types can benefit sleep.

“The right cannabis, especially an indica-based strain, is really good for sleep,” said England. He said this effect surpasses melatonin as a sleep aid.

“Melatonin can imbalance your hormone chemistry — not a healthy product to keep putting in your body long term.”

Cannabis has even been used to treat patients with certain types of cancer.

“What happens with cancer is it turns off the body’s ability to kill off mutagenic cells,” England said.

The use of cannabis, he added, can stimulate apoptosis, the destruction of malignant cells. The substance can also counteract the nausea of chemotherapy.

The store sells its cannabis in various forms, from smokable flower and pre-rolls to edibles, vapes and cannabis infused beverages, also offering Amanita mushroom products.

This psychotropic mushroom, England said, contains tryptamine in the form of muscimol, a psychoactive chemical which may treat stress, anxiety, trauma and other conditions.

The store has had an uncertain reception in Evanston, according to store manager Juan Hernandez-Noriega.

“Some people are still trying to understand how it’s legal and if it’s actually cannabis,” he said.

All products at Wild Cannabis feature a certificate of analysis from a Drug Enforcement Agency-certified lab in the form of a QR code on the product label. When scanned, the code opens a certified lab document which lists percentages of different compounds; test results for pesticides, microbials, mycotoxins, foreign matter and solvents; and signatures from laboratory administrators.

“What we’re looking for in our industry... is that these certificates of analysis are used to show law enforcement that these are legal hemp-derived products,” England said. “Not only does it show where it’s sourced from and the legitimacy... but it also importantly shows we’re testing for potency. We want to make sure we’re consistent on our potency and our safety.”

The DEA has been supportive of the cannabis industry, England said.

“Everything the industry tests is based on DEA criteria certifying legal cannabis for federal commerce purposes,” he said.

Despite the 21+ markings on some of the store’s containers, Wild Cannabis sells its hemp-derived products to customers 18 and over, which England said is “according to the FDA’s patient advocacy group recommendation for smokable hemp.”

The FDA is launching a public service campaign to educate the public on responsible cannabis use at http://www.SayNoToStreetDrugs.org.

Local vape shops sell some similar products but must bar entry to those under 21, per federal law regulating nicotine products, England said.

No medical card is required to access Wild Cannabis, though card holders do receive a 10% discount.

England emphasized that his goal is to provide a safe environment for responsible, legal cannabis use.

“We’re against illicit drugs and, honestly, any kind of addictive drugs,” he said. “I feel like addictive drugs are the bane of society. I don’t care if it comes from your doctor or the street. My outlook is they’re kind of the same when abused or misused.”

By Hayden Godfrey

Uinta County Herald

Via Wyoming News Exchange