Here’s The Imperfect Medical Marijuana Bill Passed At The Statehouse Today After Six Years Of Work

Uploading video to YouTube so you can watch the full discourse for yourself and make up your own mind. Thanks for following WeedPress on Facebook.

Today’s vote was nearly unanimous.

House File 732 had various amendments offered. Representative Jeff Shipley’s amendment was withdrawn. He spoke about being confused as to why marijuana is controversial, that nobody has overdosed or died from marijuana use, and the need for “Pothead Pete’s” (they exist) to be held accountable for their poor drug addicted behavior that ends with the “Pothead Pete’s” being 30 years old, depressed, and stuck on their couch due to excessive drug use. He also intimated they do not represent this issue well.

Representative Wes Breckenridge stood next. He withdrew amendment 1079. He then moved to make an amendment to amendment H-1074 numbered H-1080.

H-1080 moved the gram amount from 20 grams per 90 days to 25 grams per 90 days. The amendment struck the language out of House File 732 that said “department may decrease.” The amendment also creates a critical waiver for people with terminal illness and less than one year left to live. Representative Breckenridge mentioned a friend he has that would be helped by that waiver program.

H-1080 was adopted by voice vote and H-1074 was amended.

H-1074 was then voted on by voice vote and added to House File 732.

Representative Breckenridge’s remarks included a thank you to his colleagues that “have done so much” and said that while House File 732 is not perfect the bill does move Iowa in the right direction on this issue.

Back on the bill as amended, Linda Upmeyer recognized Representative Forbes.

Representative Forbes: “We’ve worked on this legislation for the past 5 or 6 years and we’re making the bill better.” Rep. Forbes then highlighted key aspects of the bill he approves of:
1. Highlighted physician assistant’s and nurse practitioners being empowered to recommend medical marijuana for patients to make patient access easier and more streamlined after doctors were hesitant to jump head first into the medical marijuana program.

2. Applauded changing THC percentage to milligrams instead of percentage (25 grams per 90 day dosing) to “allow patients more flexibility.”

3. Allowing pharmacists and pharmacist techs to work in Iowa dispensaries.

Representative Jarad Klein’s closing comments:

“This is a great example of why we put a board of medical professionals in place to begin with. Because we are for the most part not doctors in this room. We are farmers, we are truck drivers, we are former executives. We have some nurses but we are not the most qualified to be making all these decisions that we have been looking at in the past.”

Representative Klein continued “We will continue to listen to this board.”

Addressing issues with federal law Rep. Klein stated “The federal government has not been doing their job and they’ve left it to those of us in the states to address it.” He also called House File 732 “good legislation.”

Representative Chris Hagenow motioned to immediately message bill passage to the Iowa Senate. The House then adjourned.

Thanks for following WeedPress on Facebook.