Write Your Lawmakers: Schools Funding In Marijuana States At Risk

When a future presidential administration starts defunding public schools using marijuana laws in violation of federal law as an excuse I’ll be over here saying we had the solution this whole time.

For three years straight the Iowa medical cannabis advisory board officially recommended lawmakers apply for federal exemption to Iowa’s cannabis program.

In 2020, Iowa enacted the Medical Cannabidiol Act.  2020 Acts ch. 1116 (June 29, 2020).  The 2020 act directed the department of health to make a request for a federal waiver via 21 USC 822(d) for the Iowa state authorized medical cannabis scheme.  2020 Acts ch. 1116, § 31.

In September 2020, the Iowa department informed the Iowa medical camnabidiol board that the department would seek a federal exemption pursuant to 21 C.F.R. § 1307.03.  Medical Cannabidiol Program Update, September 4, 2020, Iowa Department of Public Health.

In April 2021, when no updates on the progress of the application for federal exemption had been provided to the board, the department reluctantly requested protection of federal funding threatened by the state federal racketeering scheme, after being sued for dragging its feet.  Olsen v. Reynolds, Iowa District Court, Polk County, No. CVCV061635, May 3, 2021.

The Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board Meeting Minutes from 2022 November state: “Additionally, a motion was made to assemble a legal task force to assist the Department in requesting an exemption for IA’s program from necessary Federal agencies, which was approved unanimously.”

In December 2022, the board included the proposal, made by Iowans for Medical Marijuana founder Carl Olsen, in its Annual Report to the legislature for the 2023 session.

In December 2023, the board included Mr. Olsen’s proposal in its Annual Report to the legislature for the 2024 session.

December 2024, the board included Mr. Olsen’s proposal in its Annual Report to the legislature for the 2025 session

However, lawmakers like Steve Holt in 1950’s Iowa work overtime to avoid substantive discussion of ideas and slander the character of cannabis policy experts. Thus we are now suing the state and pointing out the negligence.

I tried to warn Steve Holt of this today by pointing out his local school his kids likely grew up and graduated from could see the current generation lose funding now that Trump is revoking DOJ funding protections and opening sate’s up to federal interference with state marijuana programs. The remedy to that is in 822 USC S 22(d) but seeing as how Rep Holt blocked me from his Facebook page to avoid this discussion today he has proven with finality he would do anything to avoid the legal implications surrounding the recommendations of the republican appointed Iowa medical cannabis board who agrees with advocates we need to apply for federal exemption. Steve Holt previously used the lie as an excuse that federal law didn’t allow state marijuana legalization under medical programs but 22 USC S 22(d) allows state marijuana programs to get exemptions from federal law. Now that Trump appears to be making moves to restart crackdowns on state marijuana businesses by removing DOJ protections people need to take this seriously before their small town school loses funding. This has happened in Maine to the tune of $450,000 over their marijuana program. Steve Holt may feel blocking me from his public figure first amendment mandated access to your state lawmakers page as the final say but that’s really not how this works; when schools are defunded, I’ll say I told you so, asked you to protect school funding, and you blocked discussion because you don’t like marijuana users as a class of citizen and prefer to dehumanize and slander and lie about the discussions and neglect your duty to protect law and order and not entrap and endorse a federal racketeering scheme that leaves Iowa patients and schools vulnerable as participants in a federally illegal state authorized cannabis program.

Last year when I brought the issue of medical cannabis federal exemption up for vote at the Iowa state GOP convention for a vote by 500 delegates, just before the vote Steve Holt slandered the character of the marijuana issue and said since Kim Reynolds is against alcohol abuse from her alcoholism the delegates at the convention shouldn’t support applying for federal exemption. That has nothing to do with why lawmakers are allowing a multimillion dollar cannabis distribution business to break federal law. They want us as criminals is the only logical solution because they hate marijuana users at all costs.

Why people, mostly boomer republican lawmakers too old to sing a new tune, hate marijuana so much they won’t talk about the threat to kids patients and nursing home residents that refusal to apply for an exemption under 822 USC 22(d) is a true mystery. Some people just can’t seem to think. Too much emotion maybe. Drugs have ruined a lot of lives. Emotional bias really blinds otherwise alleged experts when it comes to legal and ethical issues and I guess that’s why I keep having something to say, because others in power refuse to do what’s needed to apply for federal exemption. They prefer marijuana users be federal outlaws so they can mock them, harass them, bully them, and demean them. That won’t last forever but it’s the essence of meanness to use your position as a lawmaker to entrap people into being criminals then mocking them when they say stop doing that to everyone. High school petty tyrants lose when you learn the actual laws these days it seems, but it’s disappointing to watch someone abuse opportunity to make effective and responsible change and take the low ground.

Oh well.