The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Chapter at Iowa State University (ISU) is collecting signatures for a campaign supporting legal recreational cannabis in Iowa.
The letter calls on state lawmakers to enact cannabis reform laws and cites a 2014 study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse that showed 34 percent of 10th graders had used cannabis, making it more used in the age group than the highly regulated and legal tobacco industry (23 percent). The group hopes to collect 10,000 signatures, which would send the letter to state lawmakers.
Brandon Clark, president of NORML ISU said the campaign is open to all Iowa residents through a website. The campaign has collected over 3,700 signatures so far. NORML ISU also sponsored a billboard along the I-235 highway in Des Moines to help spread awareness of the campaign.
“We want to expand Iowa’s medical marijuana program including access and recognized conditions for obtaining a medical card,” ISU student Josh Montgomery said. “We also want recreational marijuana because there are so many good reasons: economic, racial justice, and the list goes on.”
In 2014, Iowa lawmakers enacted a law to allow for medical cannabis products, however the program – called the Medical Cannabidiol Program – is among the most restrictive programs. Only cannabis preparations are allowed and not raw flower. As of July 2021, there are 6,491 registered medical cannabis cardholders in Iowa, with more than 2,000 registering in the past year.
In 2020, lawmakers changed the way the program was regulated to allow for more potent products to be available to patients. The previous three percent THC cap on state-regulated products to new regulations that prohibit dispensaries from giving “more than a combined total of four and one-half grams of total THC to a patient… in a 90-day period.” The new threshold does not apply to patients with a terminal illness or those whose physicians recommend using greater quantities of THC. Other provisions of the new regulations require dispensaries to employ a pharmacist or pharmacy technician to help make dosage recommendations to patients.
According to a poll from the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, many residents would like to see the state’s medical cannabis program expanded, as well as legalized recreational cannabis. Of the 800 residents polled, 53 percent said they would like to see adult-use cannabis in the state. Eighty-one percent of residents polled said they would support expanding the current medical cannabis program.
Recently, the Iowa Cannabis Company opened a new storefront in Iowa City. The new store is the sixth medical cannabidiol dispensary to open in the state. Aaron Boshart, chief compliance officer for Iowa Cannabis Co., said Iowa City is one of the most underserved areas because cardholders would have to travel to dispensaries in Davenport or Warren County to get medical cannabidiol.
“Providing access to a local dispensary is absolutely critical to providing access to the [medical cannabidiol] program,” Boshart said. “Any restrictions on access to cannabis is going to prevent people who need the cannabis remedies and cannabis as for medical use.”
The US Food and Drug Administration recently assured Iowa officials that academic institutions in the state aren’t at risk of losing funding for allowing medical cannabis use on its properties. Many colleges and universities have been hesitant to allow medical cannabis use, despite state laws, in fear of losing funding due to cannabis being federally illegal. The US House of Representatives recently passed a bill that prohibits the Department of Education from withholding funds from universities that conduct cannabis research.
