Cannabis bill falls short again

Sadly, we've seen this one before.

Iowans suffering from chronic, painful medical conditions, their families and friends troop to the Statehouse to urge state lawmakers to give them legal access to medical cannabis. Lawmakers listen, express deep sympathy and then move ahead at a glacial pace with woefully inadequate legislation.

It's really the best they can do, they insist.

Last week, House members took up what was once a promising study bill filed by Rep. Peter Cownie, R-West Des Moines, that would have allowed doctors to prescribe cannabis derivatives to treat a list of 15 conditions, including terminal illnesses, intractable pain, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. It was similar to a bill that cleared the Iowa Senate in 2015 but stalled in the House.

Unfortunately, Republicans, with little explanation, amended the bill behind the scenes, limiting patient use to one derivative, cannabidiol, and allowing treatment only for three conditions, intractable epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and cancer, but only if a patient has 12 months or less to live. It was approved 17-6 by the Commerce Committee, with eight Republicans and nine Democrats voting yes. Six GOP members voted no.

'We're dealing with the art of the possible,” said Rep. Guy Vander Linden, R-Oskaloosa, according to James Lynch's Gazette report.

But even 'possible” may not be possible. The watered-down bill still might die in the Ways and Means Committee, its next stop. Even if it reaches the House floor, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, has said she opposes any state action on cannabis until the federal Food and Drug Administration changes its marijuana policies. Someday.

So some of the same politicians who recoil in horror at the thought of the EPA inspecting their farm puddles or the Department of Education inflicting a Common Core curriculum on their schools think it's perfectly swell to put the fate of sick Iowans in the hands of the FDA.

Twenty-three states have medical marijuana programs of varying sizes and shapes. Instead of making excuses, our elected leaders should be working on Iowa's own thoughtful, tightly regulated medical cannabis program.

It's become a political issue that has no business being political. Cancer, Crohn's disease and debilitating pain aren't partial to party membership. A year ago, a Quinnipiac Poll found 87 percent of Iowans surveyed favor legalizing marijuana for medical use, with just 11 percent opposed.

Iowans want this, and overly cautious legislative baby steps aren't going to cut it. I'm not saying the issue isn't complicated, or that creating a smart program is easy. But it's long past time stop talking about what precious little we can do politically and talk more about what we need to do for Iowans seeking help.

Nobody's talking about becoming Colorado. We're talking about allowing doctors who already can prescribe numerous dangerous, highly addictive medications to prescribe cannabis derivatives in some cases. It's about pain and suffering, not Cheech and Chong.

We've seen your 'best,” lawmakers. It's time to do a whole lot more.

l Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@thegazette.com