Editor’s Note: On Jan. 29, the House passed House Bill 1031, sponsored by Rep. JoAnn Windholz, R-Commerce City, on second reading. The bill delays the sale of powdered alcohol in Colorado until the state can implement an adequate regulatory framework. While powdered alcohol is not currently legal for sale here, it can be purchased online.

What is powdered alcohol and why does the government want to keep it from us? Powdered alcohol, or Palcohol, is a product that has not yet hit the market, but five states have already banned it, with many more states trying to ban it. Why? Because, according to the Republican bill sponsor in Colorado, Rep. JoAnn Windholz, “It’s prudent for states to ban the product until they know how it can affect people if it happens to be stronger than liquid alcohol.”

The bill in Colorado cleared its first hurdle by passing 9-2 out of the House State Affairs Committee.

The product’s developer, Mark Phillips, fully acknowledges that Palcohol should be taxed and regulated just like liquid alcohol. That means it would be sold only where it is legal to sell liquor, with all of the restrictions of selling liquor. Additionally, there are existing regulations based on the strength of the drink. So what’s the problem?

There is a long list of proposed social ills that Windholz says Palcohol might lead to, including children snorting the product, being able to spike another person’s drink, and being able to sneak the product into a ballgame or other venue.

Palcohol’s inventor debunks all of this on his site, www.palcohol.com, in a very thorough manner.

He also details how he discovered the market need for a lighter weight alcohol product. He is a backpacker, and as every hiker or backpacker knows, the weight of your pack is everything. So he used his time and treasure to invent this product.

Isn’t that the American Dream, to see a market need, invent something and make a living from your invention? We should throw this guy a parade, not ban his invention.

What if it hits the market, and no one likes it? Then they will go out of business, which is another feature of the free market. Phillips is not guaranteed success. Consumers, not the government, should determine the success of Palcohol.

This is a product that many people would enjoy. Just because a few might misuse it, doesn’t mean it should be banned for everyone. There is a little irony that this is happening in a state that just made recreational marijuana legal.

Find out what is happening in your state. We don’t need the government telling us that we need protection from Palcohol.

States where Palcohol is already banned: Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont. States attempting to ban Palcohol: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, New York and Wisconsin.

Laura Carno of Colorado Springs is the founder of IAmCreatedEqual.com. In 2013, she produced and appeared in TV and radio ads in favor of the successful recall of the state senate president, while working behind the scenes to help organize the recall effort. Her 2014 project, UdallLied.com, focused on educating voters about the Senator’s “ineffective leadership and political failures.”