Trump DOJ Will Now Prosecute Pot in National Parks

Wyoming Leads the Crackdown

If you’re bringing marijuana into Yellowstone or Grand Teton, you might want to reconsider that approach.

On September 29, 2025, the Department of Justice reversed Biden-era guidance that had kept federal prosecutors from going after minor pot offenses on federal land.

Wyoming’s U.S. Attorney Darin Smith wasted no time announcing he would rigorously enforce the law. It doesn’t matter if weed is legal in your home state.

The moment you step onto national park land, federal rules apply, and those haven’t changed since the 1970s.

Up to Six Months in Jail

Getting caught with marijuana in a national park is a Class B misdemeanor under federal law. That means you could face up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine for simple possession.

Before the policy change, federal prosecutors largely ignored these cases. Now, Smith says his office will use every tool available to hold offenders accountable.

Rangers have always had the authority to issue citations, but whether those citations turned into prosecutions depended on guidance from Washington.

That guidance just changed.

DOJ Reverses Biden Policy

The new directive from the Justice Department rescinds a policy from the final months of Biden’s presidency.

That earlier guidance had significantly curtailed federal prosecution of misdemeanor marijuana offenses on federal land.

Prosecutors weren’t forbidden from filing charges, but they were discouraged from doing so. The Justice Department declined to release the document publicly.

Smith called the old policy a hindrance and said his office has been enforcing the new guidance since it came out in late September.

Biden Pardoned Thousands in 2023

In December 2023, Biden issued a sweeping pardon for people convicted of marijuana use and simple possession on federal lands and in Washington, D.C.

The move was meant to address racial disparities in drug enforcement and remove barriers to housing and employment for those with past convictions.

No one was released from prison because of the pardon, but it cleared the records of thousands. Biden called it a step toward righting the wrongs of what he described as a failed approach to marijuana policy.

State Laws Stop at Park Boundaries

About half of U.S. states have now legalized recreational marijuana. Another 16 allow medical use only. But none of that matters on federal land.

National parks, national forests, and Bureau of Land Management areas are all governed by federal law, which still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance alongside heroin and LSD.

So even if you legally bought pot in Colorado and drive it into Rocky Mountain National Park, you’re breaking federal law the moment you cross that boundary.

Wyoming Never Legalized Anything

Wyoming is one of the few states where marijuana remains completely illegal. No recreational use. No medical program. Not even a low-THC CBD exception.

That puts U.S. Attorney Smith in an unusual position: his state law and federal law are fully aligned. He doesn’t have to navigate the tension that prosecutors in states like California or Colorado might face.

For Smith, the crackdown is straightforward. He’s enforcing the same rules at the federal level that Wyoming already enforces at the state level.

Two Parks Draw 8 Million Visitors

Yellowstone and Grand Teton together welcome more than 8 million visitors each year. That’s a lot of people crossing onto federal land, many of them coming from states where marijuana is legal.

Smith’s office hasn’t tracked how many marijuana citations have been issued at either park, and the numbers weren’t readily available.

But with millions of visitors and a new enforcement policy in place, the odds of getting caught just went up.

Rangers now have clear backing from federal prosecutors to pursue charges.

Enforcement Still Depends on Staffing

Legal experts say the practical effect of the new policy will depend on how many rangers are on the ground.

A former federal prosecutor noted that the guidance gives law enforcement discretion to decide whether to bring charges. If a ranger smells marijuana at a campsite, they can now pursue it more aggressively.

But national parks have been understaffed for years. One analysis found parks were operating with 24 percent fewer permanent staff than historic norms.

Discretion means nothing if no one is around to exercise it.

500 New Officers on the Way

That staffing gap might be closing. The Interior Department announced it is recruiting 500 new law enforcement officers for the National Park Service.

The agency is offering a $70,000 signing bonus to attract experienced officers from state, local, and tribal departments.

About 200 of the new hires will go to traditional national parks, while 300 will be stationed at urban monuments in Washington, New York, and San Francisco.

Applicants must have completed a law enforcement academy or served in a sworn position within the last three years.

Trump Pardons a Trail Runner Instead

The same week the marijuana crackdown was announced, President Trump issued a pardon that seemed to point in the opposite direction.

Michelino Sunseri, a trail runner, had been convicted of using a closed trail during a record-setting run up Grand Teton.

He cut a switchback on a path marked “closed for regrowth.”

The misdemeanor carried the same potential penalties as marijuana possession: up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Trump wiped the conviction. The pardon highlighted what critics call overcriminalization of minor offenses in national parks.

What This Means for You

If you’re visiting a national park, the rules are now clear.

Marijuana is illegal on federal land, and federal prosecutors in at least one state are ready to enforce that law.

It doesn’t matter what the rules are back home. A dispensary receipt from California won’t help you in Yellowstone.

The safest approach is to leave it behind.

If you’re caught, you could be looking at a criminal record, a fine, and the possibility of jail time. The policy change is new, but the law it enforces has been on the books for decades.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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