Democratic lawmakers in Iowa on Tuesday introduced legislation that would legalize adult-use marijuana in the state and pave the way for a regulated cannabis market. 

“We’ve listened to Iowans and heard from people of all parties in all corners of the state who strongly believe it’s time to legalize marijuana. This common-sense bill we’re introducing today isn’t about politics, it’s about people,” said Jennifer Konfrst, the Democratic leader in the state House of Representatives, as quoted by local news station KCRG. “Our bill is an opportunity this session to put partisanship aside and work together to get something done that a majority of Iowans want.”

The bill, according to KCRG, would also expand Iowa’s existing medical cannabis program.

It would also “seek to decrease penalties for marijuana possession and expunge records for non-violent marijuana convictions,” according to the station. 

“It is across party lines. It is across the place where you live in the state: rural, urban and suburban. And it is time to do this,” Konfrst said, as quoted by The Gazette. 

There is polling data to back Konfrst’s assertion. 

A Des Moines Register poll in 2021 found that 54% of adults in Iowa supported legalizing cannabis for recreational use, while 39% said they were opposed. 

Another poll from the Des Moines Register released the year prior showed virtually the same numbers.

But the new bill still faces long odds in Iowa’s General Assembly, where both the state Senate and House are controlled by Republicans who have signaled they’re in no mood for legalization.

“I have been clear in the past that I do not believe marijuana legalization is the right path forward for Iowa,” said Republicans state House Steve Holt, as quoted by The Gazette. “This is not an issue that has received much support from the judiciary committee in my time as chair, and I do not expect this session to be different. Iowans have expressed a very different set of priorities to me and my Republican colleagues.”

The Gazette noted that Iowa’s Republican governor, Kim Reynolds, has also “opposed any efforts to legalize marijuana in Iowa.”

In 2019, Reynolds vetoed a measure that “sought [to] amend and expand the state’s low-THC/high CBD access program,” and “would have expanded the pool of health professionals eligible to recommend medical cannabis products and it would have opened the program up to those with severe or chronic pain. It also would have removed the three percent THC cap on medical cannabis products,” according to NORML.

“Ultimately, I believe Iowa must proceed cautiously to ensure that any expansion of our medical CBD program is thoughtful and deliberate,” Reynolds said in her veto statement at the time, as quoted by NORML.

The bill introduced this week by Democrats would allow “Iowans 21 and older to purchase weed for recreational use from a licensed store, and includes a 10% excise tax and 1% surcharge,” and would “would funnel money towards schools, mental health, and local public safety departments,” according to local news station KWWL.

“Imagine that kind of revenue to Iowa schools, mental health services and local public safety,” said Democratic state House Rep. Lindsay James, a co-sponsor of the proposal, as quoted by The Gazette.

James pointed to the success of Colorado’s recreational cannabis program.

“I will say this: in 2021 alone Colorado’s marijuana industry generated $423 million in tax revenue,” James said, as quoted by Radio Iowa.

According to Radio Iowa, the proposal would also clear the way for referendums to “determine if a marijuana business could be established in a county.”

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Iowa Cannabidiol Board reports that by the end of December 2022, the state had collected $10.2 million in sales through five dispensaries. In August alone, the state had hit the $1 million mark in a single month for the first time and kept the pattern going throughout the rest of the year. For comparison, sales in December 2021 hit $587,000.

According to the Des Moines Register, the number of patients has increased significantly as well. In December 2021, the Iowa cardholder number reached 7,800, but by November 2022 the number of cardholders hit 15,000. Currently, the state lists 51.1% of patients as male, 48.5% as female, and 0.4% as non-binary.

Currently, most of Iowa medical cannabis patients reside in Polk County, which is also the location of the state capital with 5,112 patients, followed by Linn County (833 patients), Black Hawk County (670), Woodbury County (645), and Johnson County (612).

The state’s number of caregivers, or people who assist patients that are “too ill, immobilized or otherwise unable to visit a dispensary,” has risen as well. Caregiver cards also increased, with 2,300 registered caregivers in December 2021, and 3,000 in November 2022.

The top condition that patients have registered for includes chronic pain, with an estimated 10,000 individuals, followed by post-traumatic dress disorder with approximately 2,800 cardholders. Since the state’s medical cannabis program launched in November 2018, it has issued more than 32,000 medical cannabis cards.

The Des Moines Register also reports that as of November 2022, 1,920 health care professionals (defined as either a physician, physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or podiatrist) have “signed off” on at least one patient using cannabis to treat their condition (compared to only 300 health care practitioners in December 2021).

In terms of products purchased, “vaporizable” products are the most popular at 66.4%, followed by capsules/tablets (24.6%), tinctures (6.4%), and topicals (2.5%). Approximately 77.9% of patients choose products with high THC, 13.2% prefer a balanced ratio of THC to CBD, and 8.9% choose high CBD.

A large majority of patients suffering from conditions such as AIDS/HIV, ALS, Crohn’s disease, seizures, and ulcerative colitis chose high THC products. The only exception is an even split for those who suffer from Parkinson’s disease (37% prefer THC/CBD products, and 38% prefer high THC products).

While medical cannabis is thriving in Iowa, efforts to legalize adult-use cannabis have not yielded results. Earlier last year, Iowan advocates from the Campaign for Sensible Cannabis Laws launched an effort to legalize cannabis. “Cannabis reform is sweeping the country. From ruby red South Dakota and Montana to perpetually blue New York and New Jersey, majorities from across the political spectrum are voting for reform. In some states it’s a stronger medical program,” said campaign founder Bradley Knott. “In other states voters have gone all in for both medical and recreational cannabis. In Iowa, we don’t have a choice. We don’t even have a voice.”

In September 2022, Iowa Libertarian governor candidate Rick Stewart called out fellow candidate Republican Kim Reynolds (who later won as governor in November) on her opposition to legal cannabis. “What the hell, Kim?” Stewart said in a video. “Here I am in Illinois—why, only a few miles from the Iowa border—and they’ve got legal cannabis.”

He described the stark difference between the laws between the two states while standing in front of a bridge that connects Iowa to Illinois. “If I buy weed on this side of the bridge, I’m buying it from a crook. If I buy weed on that side of the bridge, I’m buying it from a reputable business person,” Stewart said.

Iowa’s southern neighbor of Missouri recently has an adult-use cannabis program that went live in December 2022 as well.

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