1. In 2017, the state legislature of Riverton passed the 'Riverton Agricultural Freedom Act' with broad bipartisan support. The new law legalized the cultivation and sale of industrial hemp within the state's borders, aiming to boost the local farming economy. However, this state law directly conflicted with the federal Controlled Substances Act, which at the time classified hemp as a Schedule I drug, making it illegal under federal law. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) asserted that federal law preempted state law and threatened to raid farms operating under the new state regulations.

In response, Riverton's Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the federal government. The state argued that the regulation of agriculture within its own borders was a power reserved to the states, not delegated to the national government. The federal government countered that the production of hemp had a substantial effect on the national market, giving Congress the authority to regulate it.

While the legal battle unfolded, the Riverton Farmers Association mobilized its members to contact their congressional representatives, urging them to update federal laws. Simultaneously, national anti-drug coalitions lobbied the executive branch to strictly enforce the existing ban. This clash highlighted the ongoing struggle to define the boundaries of power between the state and national governments.