Iowa Gov. Reynolds signs medical marijuana revision

On Monday, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed HF 2589 into law, expanding the list of medical conditions that qualify for Iowa’s Medical Cannabidiol Program, revising the amount of THC that can be possessed, and making other changes — both good and bad — to the program.

The new law, which took effect today, makes the following changes:

• Revises the 3% THC cap to instead allow products with a total of 4.5 grams of THC every 90 days, with exceptions for cases where providers specify a specific, greater quantity is needed
• Adds post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of qualifying conditions
• Allows any patient with “chronic pain” to qualify, thus greatly expanding the number of pain patients who qualify (Currently, only patients with “untreatable pain” qualify.”)
• Allows podiatrists, physicians' assistants, and advanced practice nurses to recommend cannabis, in addition to doctors
• Removes the Department of Transportation’s role in ID cards
• Allows property owners and employers to ban medical cannabis use and provides that workers' compensation and health care do not have to cover medical cannabis

For more details about the law, as amended, check out our summary. We are disappointed that Gov. Reynolds stood in the way of a higher cap on the 90-day supply. Last year, the legislature sent her a bill capping THC at 25 grams every 90 days. The 4.5 gram caps is insufficient for many patients, who will not be allowed access to a sufficient amount of their medicine unless their providers are willing to sign a waiver.