In 2014, Iowa lawmakers passed a limited medical cannabis program that allows residents to possess cannabidiol, a byproduct of the marijuana plant, for treatment of intractable epilepsy, although that runs afoul of federal laws.
But the law expires July 1 — leaving lawmakers this session with essentially three options:
- Extend the current program.
- Extend and expand the current program.
- Let the law to expire and end the program.
Since the program’s implementation in 2015, 222 cannabidiol registration cards have been issued in Iowa, according to the Department of Transportation, which issues the cards.
Critics of the program, including many who use it, say it does not create an avenue for Iowans to obtain cannabidiol, which is produced only in other states, many of which do not sell to non-residents.
