As February was drawing to a close, Democratic leaders from the Iowa House of Representatives held a press conference to introduce their bill to legalize cannabis in the state. “Legalizing marijuana for adult use keeps Iowans safe, stops our tax dollars from going to neighboring states, improves the quality of life for Iowans who are […]
Medical marijuana
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa Supreme Court rules out-of-state medical marijuana card is no defense against possession charge
Possessing a valid medical marijuana card issued by another state is not enough to stop someone from being convicted of possession of marijuana in Iowa, a divided Iowa Supreme Court decided in a ruling handed down on Friday. The 4-3 decision came in the case of Pamela Middlekauff, who was convicted of possession of a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
4/20 in 2022: Iowa GOP leaders entertaining ‘no discussion whatsoever’ on marijuana reform
More than a year after an Iowa Poll showed 54 percent of Iowans favor legalizing marijuana for recreational use and 78 percent want to see the state’s Medical Cannabidiol Program expanded, Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Republicans who control the Iowa Legislature show no sign of doing either. Earlier this month, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Medical cannabis dispensary opens in Iowa City
Iowa Cannabis Co. opened a medical cannabidiol dispensary in Iowa City on Friday. The dispensary, located at 382 Highway 1 W in part of the building that was home to Paul’s Discount, is one of two located in eastern Iowa. The other eastern Iowa dispensary is in Waterloo and is also owned by Iowa Cannabis […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Iowa legislature should override veto of CBD bill
We all make mistakes. Gov. Reynolds made a mistake when she vetoed legislation that would make essential improvements to Iowa’s medical cannabis program. She got bad advice and didn’t listen to the Iowans most directly involved. These are our friends and neighbors who suffer every day with such debilitating, life-threatening conditions
Posted inCommunity/News
Gov. Reynolds vetoes bill to expand medical CBD program
On Friday, Gov. Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill that would have allowed people diagnosed with “severe or chronic pain” to participate in the Iowa Medical Cannabidiol (mCBD) Program and would have raised the cap on the active ingredient in the cannabidiol currently available to patients in the program.
Posted inCommunity/News
As Iowa’s first medical marijuana production facility opens, severe restrictions remain on the program
Iowa’s still developing medical marijuana program reached an important milestone on Thursday, as MedPharm Iowa held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its Des Moines facility. “It’s about the patients, the kids, the patients who are going to benefit from these particular products,” Dr. Christopher Nelson, MedPharm’s owner, said at the ribbon-cutting.
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa’s medical community is reluctant to embrace state’s medical marijuana program
A poll conducted in January found that 78 percent of Iowans approve of medical marijuana. But even that level of popular support is meaningless if doctors don’t participate in the state’s very limited medical cannabis program. “Unfortunately, too many physicians, nurses — and really the medical community at large — too many of them have been unwilling to meet with us or really anyone tied with this industry. Unwilling to talk about it and learn more about it,” MedPharm Iowa spokesman Lucas Nelson told Radio Iowa.
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids is getting in ‘on the ground floor’ of marijuana manufacturing
Cannabidiol will join breakfast cereal as a one of the things Cedar Rapids proudly produces. Last week, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) awarded a license to grow marijuana and process it into cannabidiol last week to Iowa Relief, as part of the state’s medical marijuana program. According Iowa Relief’s application, it plans to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Last chance to expand Iowa’s medical marijuana program likely dead in the state legislature
A final attempt to expand Iowa’s medical marijuana program appears to be dead in the Iowa legislature, after Speaker of the House Linda Upmeyer said she and the rest of the Republican caucus that controls the House are opposed to changing the current law. The Senate Ways and Means Committee passed a bill on Monday […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa’s medical marijuana program still in the weeds
Proponents of Iowa’s medical marijuana program say it must expand to sustain itself, but no clear path has emerged this spring. Their wish list includes making more medical conditions eligible for treatment, additional medical cannabis dispensaries across Iowa and a higher limit on permissible levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a mind-altering compound in marijuana.
Posted inCommunity/News
Locations of Iowa’s first medical marijuana dispensaries announced
On Tuesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health announced that five dispensaries will receive licenses to sell cannabis-based medicinal products.
