2025 Iowa Legislative Update, Key Cannabis/Psilocybin Developments

2025 Iowa Legislative Session Update.

 

There were several bills filed this session that would make changes to Chapter 124E: HF 950, HF 990 / SF 399, HF 995, and one that references Chapter 124E, HF 978. 

 

The bill that references Chapter 124E creates a new Chapter 124F, a medical psilocybin program.  House File 978 passed the House 84-6 and would have to pass through the Senate in 2026 to reach the Governor’s desk.

 

House File 978 creates several sections that say Chapter 124F requires violation of federal drug law, just like Chapter 124E does without explicitly saying so, 124F § 3, 124F § 15, 124F § 23, 124F § 24, and 124F § 32.

 

House File 978 also allows medical cannabidiol manufacturers and dispensaries licensed under Chapter 124E to facilitate psilocybin manufacture and dispensing, 124F § 5.

 

A pattern is developing.  There will be a new chapter for every hallucinogen in Schedule I of Chapter 124, 124G for ayahuasca, 124H for mescaline, 124I for ibogaine, 124J for LSD, 124K for DMT, and on and on.

 

House File 990 passed the House 90-2 and was attached to Senate File 399 HHS Committee Bill pending in the Senate.  Both bills increase the number of dispensaries to 10.

 

House File 995 passed the House 91-1 and is pending in the Senate.  The bill creates out of state registration for people visiting Iowa for a lengthy period.

 

House File 950 is a Health and Human Services Committee Bill.  The bill adds flower and assigns the medical cannabidiol board the task of creating packaging requirements for flowers of the plant Cannabis sativa L. or Cannabis indica in vaporizable form.  HF 950 is eligible for debate in the House.  124E § 5(f).  It was substantially amended in committee.

 

Just as we have agreed upon the need for a legal task force, in addition to the medical cannabidiol board, there is a need to study these bills over the interim.  The more we dive into this “perceived” conflict with federal drug law, the more we need to take a serious look at 21 U.S.C. 822(d) which would resolve the “perceived” conflict.  The only conflict is in the imagination of Iowa’s leadership.

 

To be fair, this is a national phenomenon.  Forty-nine (49) states have these programs and all of them, including the federal government, “perceive” the same imaginary federal conflict.  It’s time to take some time to look at this more carefully.