Iowa lawmakers struck a last-minute deal early Saturday morning to expand the state's limited medical cannabis program, approving legislation that would allow marijuana to be grown in Iowa and dispensed as an oil to seriously ill patients.
“There are sick Iowans out there that need relief, bottom line," said the bill's floor manager, Rep. Jarad Klein, R-Keota.
STATE BY STATE: Iowa Cannabis News
The legislation, unveiled in the Iowa House about 3 a.m. and given final approval by the Senate at 7 a.m., was among the final bills passed by the General Assembly before lawmakers officially adjourned for the year.
Iowans currently are allowed to possess cannabis oil for the treatment of epilepsy. But it's illegal to manufacture or distribute that oil in the state, and federal law prohibits its transportation across state lines. In practice, that makes it illegal for Iowans to obtain the product.
