Sadly, Iowa is one of 17 states that still lacks a comprehensive medical marijuana law. In 2019, Gov. Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill that would have replaced Iowa’s three percent THC potency cap with a purchasing limit of 25 grams of THC over 90 days.
Before the 2020 legislature convened this year, the Medical Cannabidiol Board — which oversees Iowa’s low-THC medical cannabis program — recommended that the legislature replace the three percent THC potency cap with a purchasing limit of 4.5 grams of THC over 90 days. The House of Representatives passed a bill (HF 2589) to make that and other changes, but the legislative session was suspended in the face of the coronavirus before the Senate could act on the bill.
Sadly, two of the state’s five medical cannabidiol dispensaries shut down in late March, with one owner noting that operating was not economically viable. Iowa’s too-restrictive law doesn’t work for businesses or the patients who depend on them.
Efforts to maintain safe access to medical cannabidiol in times of coronavirus
Iowa’s Office of Medical Cannabidiol has taken some steps to preserve safe access to medical cannabidiol during this time of social distancing: Patients are being allowing curbside pick-up during the pandemic, and the program is encouraging telemedicine consultations. However, we are disappointed Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) has not taken other steps to maintain safe access, including allowing home delivery.
You can ask the governor to allow home delivery during the crisis here.
Learn more about Iowa’s marijuana laws
Iowa is seriously lagging behind the 27 states (and D.C.) that have stopped jailing and criminalizing their residents for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Under current law, first-offense possession of even a single joint is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, one of the most severe first-offense penalties in the country. These draconian penalties hit low-income and communities of color the hardest.