Iowa Governor Vetoes Medical Cannabis Expansion

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]G[/dropcap]ov. Kim Reynolds vetoed a cannabis bill that would have allowed an expansion to for the state’s medical cannabis problem.

In her official statement issue on May 28, Reynolds explained that she did not agree with the expansion parameters set by House File 732. “Unlike some states, Iowa’s medical CBD program is not a medical marijuana program. To this end, current Iowa law limits the level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the psychoactive chemical in the cannabis plant—in medical CBD products to three percent . . . The Legislature was wise to understand that we were entering uncharted territory and could benefit from the Board’s expertise in navigating any potential expansion of the program.”

She claims that the bill—which would have removed the three percent cap on THC and instead limited the amount of medical cannabis a patient could be prescribed at any one time to 25 grams over 90 days—is “too much of a jump” from the current, CBD-based system they have in place. “We need to be narrow and cautious in how we move forward,” Reynolds said, according to The Gazette. She also told reporters she wants a more balanced approach, saying “I do not support recreational marijuana and I just felt that was too much of a jump.”

She said that one of her major reasons for vetoing the bill was because of the proposed amount of THC that a patient could consume in a day. “Most of the changes included in House File 732 were the result of the Legislature and the Medical Cannabidiol Board corning together to reach agreement on appropriate and positive improvements to our medical CBD program,” the statement continued. “I fully support these changes. But unfortunately, the bill would also remove the three percent limit on THC in medical CBD products and replace it with a limit of 25 grams of THC per 90-day period.”

Iowa has been making some recent strides on the legalization front, including signing an official hemp bill recently. Despite the setback, some representatives are currently working on trying to overturn the legislature, and cannabis advocates will no doubt keep fighting for legalization.