Just Announced Plan For Iowa Marijuana In 2020 From Senator Joe Bolkcom And Representative John Forbes!

Today’s notes in brief on this morning’s Iowa Statehouse announcements on medical cannabis efforts for 2020:

1. Kim Reynolds, Kim Reynolds, Kim Reynolds

Senator Joe Bolkcom made plain the sole remaining obstacle to a decent, patient-centered cannabis program in Iowa. In today’s Iowa Statehouse announcement Livestreamed here on Facebook, Senator Bolkcom said,

“This is a complicated issue. We need the Governor to put some energy into getting more engaged on it, more informed about it, and not just take the word of other people to form her opinion. She needs to do some studying and become a little bit more knowledgeable about what Iowa patients need. And we hope she’ll do that because we just — continuing to fumble around really puts in jeopardy our entire program right now.”

– Senator Bolkcom 11/15/1019

2. Ignore the Iowa Medical Board Recommendation

During the conference, Representative John Forbes pointed out that the recommendations made earlier this month by the medical board were absurdly restrictive. Senator Bolkcom’s exact words about the Board were “no sense in even taking up what the medical board has proposed.” So, the Iowa Legislature, after showing up in person at the medical board hearings to tell the board to make a good recommendation or be ignored, will in fact be ignoring board recommendations to restrict THC. That’s a victory for Iowa Patients actual needs.

3. Proposal to add additional dispensaries will be introduced

Twelve (12) total new dispensaries will be proposed. Rural Iowans driving up to two hours or more cannot afford the time and expense of travel in all situations and that should be easily fixed, say the Legislators.

4. Patient Representative Added To Medical Board

The medical board should have a patient representative on the board, preferably with experience with marijuana. This proposal to add a patient representative is on Senator Bolkcom’s agenda in 2019 according to the statements made today at the Statehouse.

Representative Forbes, also worth mentioning, responded to the Catch-22 situation over research and data, saying that the board will not have science for at least 3-5 years after Schedule I is deleted from the code. The next medical board meeting for Iowa’s cannabis program is not yet scheduled, but once it is, you can find 2020 meeting dates for board hearings here.

Kim Reynolds refusal to put her own personal energy into this issue is indescribably frustrating. There is simply no choice but to push full steam ahead to Kim’s office. Iowa Patients for Medical Marijuana reports on Facebook that they will be coming up with a list of recommendations for the Legislature in 2020. Follow WeedPress on Facebook for more news and updates on this issue.