DES MOINES – The Iowa Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that allows some sick Iowans to use medical cannabis.
The Iowa Senate passed, on a 45-5 vote, SF506, dubbed the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act. Democrats say the bill would help for Iowans with cancer and debilitating conditions. This reclassifies marijuana, including tetrahydrocannabinol, from a schedule I controlled substance to a schedule II controlled substance, making it legal.
Those with a debilitating medical condition approved for use of medical cannabis will need to carry a valid medical cannabis registration card in order to transport the substance.
If the bill passes the Republican-led House and is signed by the Governor, the state of Iowa would license manufacturers to “possess, cultivate, transport or supply medical cannabis” and then the drug would have to be picked up at a licensed dispensary.
The smoking of marijuana is banned in the bill, but the following diseases or medical conditions are covered for patients to pursue use of medical marijuana:
- Cancer (if the underlying condition or treatment produces one or more of the following: Intractable pain, Nausea or severe vomiting; Cachexia or severe wasting
- Multiple sclerosis
- Epilepsy or seizure disorders
- AIDS or HIV
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Any terminal illness, with a probable life expectancy of under one year, if the illness or its treatment produces one or more of the following: intractable pain, nausea or severe vomiting, cachexia or severe wasting
- Intractable pain
- Parkinson’s disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Huntington’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Complex regional pain syndrome (type I and II)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Polyarteritis nodosa
Democratic Senator Joe Bolkcom says the final outcome of the bill hinges on Clear Lake Republican Representative Linda Upmeyer.
“In 2015, the Iowa Senate approved a comprehensive Medicaid cannabis program by a one-vote margin with the support of 25 Democrats and one Republican. Today, similar legislation was approved by a vote of 45 to 5. The support is there in the Iowa House to pass this bill if House Speaker Linda Upmeyer allows it to come up for a vote. Twenty-nine states already have comprehensive medical cannabis laws. Iowans who want access to effective medicines should call House Speaker Upmeyer as soon as possible.”
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With ALS,(amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) my first sign that something was wrong, was my slurred speech. And then the inability to eat without getting choked, strangled, and coughing. I didn’t have health care I just thought it was a stroke, When it started to get worse I went to a neurologist. I was given medications like riluzole oral to slow down the progress of the disease, nothing was really working to help my condition. Finally i started on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis herbal formula i purchased from Health Herbal Clinic, i read alot of positive reviews from other patients who used the ALS herbal treatment. I used the herbal remedy for 7 weeks, its effects on ALS is amazing, all my symptoms gradually faded away, i feed very more freely by myself now! (Visit www. healthherbalclinic. weebly. com or email at healthherbalclinic@ gmail. com) I recommend this ALS herbal formula for all ALS Patients.
Center for Disease Control numbers of deaths per year in the USA
* Prescription Drugs: 237,485 + 5000 traffic fatalities
* Tobacco: 390,323
* Alcohol: 88,013 + 16,000 traffic fatalities
* Cocaine: 4,906
* Heroin: 7,200
* Aspirin: 466
* Acetaminophen (Tylenol): 179
* Marijuana: 0, none, not a single fatal overdose in all medical history and almost no traffic problems.
There might not be any fatal overdoses, but there is a lot of damage caused by pot smoking. Not to mention the accidents cause due to pot heads. Then of course there are the memory problems, heart and lung problems that they are just now discovering. I have no problem with medical marijuana except it is abused by a lot of people who claim to have problems. I do have a problem with creating more brain dead people on the streets that do nothing but smoke pot and steal.
I have never, ever heard of a someone stealing for their next pot fix. Meth – yep, opioids – yep, weed – no. Just do the best to keep it out the hands of children and we’ll all be fine.
Go t Colorado and ask them. It happens all the time there.
Wow you are so uneducated LVS. You have no idea what the hell you are talking about on this matter and you look like a bigger fool then you usually do. By the way my first sentence is just a nice way to say you are very stupid. You should learn to keep your trap shut on matters you know nothing about, of course that would be most matters in general.
It may help me for instance. I have health issues from being in desert storm. But it may be safer than strong pain meds.
It is eons safer than the opioids which are what much of the pain medication are. We are in the midst of an opioid epidemic because big pharma is making a great deal of money from the sale of opioid. Once they can get their greedy hands on the the marijuana industry, Upmeyer, KIng, Trump, Sessions and the rest of the fear mongers will jump on the bandwagon and tell us they always knew it was safe and effective. But when they do get involved, watch the price escalate to a place where we will think the cartels were back in the pot business. In reality, big pharma is a cartel.
They will add taxes and fees to this just like they have in other states. Pretty soon they will not be able to afford this unless they steal to support it or buy it illegally on the streets.
Do you ever have anything positive to add to the discussion?
I will post what I please Anonymous…..TROLL.
Do you know in those other states that allow only medical marijuana that one must have a prescription from a doctor to purchase. Many insurance companies allow it as a covered medicine. So, that means all those taxes and fees will be charged to the insurance companies other clients just like they do now with all drugs. And our government allows it and that is why an antibiotic in Canada costs a heck of a lot less than it does here.
So, what do the people with no insurance or high deductible’s do? They buy it on the streets from the cartels and then we have a real problem.
They don’t buy from cartels. Cartels are pouring money into the anti-legalization coffers. They don’t want it legalized because it cuts into their business and they have to lower their prices.
bodacious, you make too much sense and intelligent commentary for some on this site to comprehend.
But I applaud your efforts.
Thanks. I realize that I am tilting at windmills but I just can’t let some of the ignorance I see on here go unchallenged. I persist.
A lot of the ignorance you see on here is from LVS. He is one of the most uneducated guy I have ever seen. Most people that think they know everything actually know very little and LVS fits the mold to a T.
^ Agreed. Larry is not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Dribble Dribble Dribble down your chin.
Is it possible to add the phone number Iowans should call? Very informative article just missing that one little component.
The three worst legislators in our state: Steve King, Linda Upmeyer, & Gov Branstad. The majority of Iowans (by far) want medical marijuana. These three people are supposed to work for their constituents. It’s time they listened!
They’re probably not getting any kick backs off of it, yet.
If this helps people they should approve it.
Permission from the oligarchs not needed for me. I’ll keep using medical marijuana for anxiety and depression no matter what the legal status because for me, it works.
th reason you have anxiety and depression is BECAUSE you smoke the weed, you are an idiot
You should really educate yourself before you start calling people idiots. In states where medical marijuana is legal they prescribe it for anxiety all the time.
they never stated that a doctor had prescribed the treatment. idiot
Does it still hurt to sit down??