State drug czar says new marijuana products present challenge

DES MOINES - Iowa's drug czar on Wednesday expressed concerns with the proliferation and concentration of marijuana products, underscoring the hesitation shown by the governor's administration to embrace medical marijuana.

Steve Lukan, director of the state's Office of Drug Control Policy, said during budget hearings Wednesday that marijuana users are developing new products that are 'significantly” more potent than they were two decades ago. Lukan also said the legalization of marijuana in states such as Colorado makes those products more common.

'That is a significant challenge today. I liken it to corn genetics. They are building stronger (marijuana) plants, they are making much higher potency levels of marijuana you're finding on the streets, they are refining it, with some of the marijuana oils you find can be extremely high in THC potency,” Lukan said. 'I don't think a lot of citizens today fully understand how potent this drug can be that is found on the street.”

Lukan said young people are using marijuana oils in electronic cigarettes, which are difficult to detect because of their small size.

He also said the legalization of recreational marijuana in other states has created an explosion of products.

'That's what I probably see as one of the big challenges today with electronic cigarettes and some of these products that are on the street,” Lukan said.

The state in 2014 passed a new law that allows for narrow use of an oil found in the marijuana plant to treat children with epilepsy. Advocates are pushing for expansion of that law and other marijuana initiatives, including changing the drug's classification to allow for more medical research.

The state pharmacy board recently tabled discussion on reclassifying marijuana, with multiple members expressing reservations.

Gov. Terry Branstad has not ruled out supporting expanded medical marijuana legislation but did say any such legislation would be given careful consideration.

'The governor believes the state needs to exercise caution and diligently analyze the issue,” Branstad's spokesman recently told the Lee Des Moines Bureau.

Lukan said Wednesday that while the state remains above the national average for drinking alcohol, drinking receded in the past fiscal year, along with tobacco use.

The past fiscal year was the worst on record for overdose deaths, Lukan said. The 227 overdose deaths - which include overdoses on illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine as well as prescribed pain relievers, stimulants and anti-depressants - still are below the national average, he said.

'I think it is a cause for concern,” Lukan said.

Lukan said alcohol and tobacco abuse among the state's youth continue to drop. Tobacco abuse among 6th-, 8th- and 10th-grade users was down to 7 percent in 2012, half of what it was 10 years prior. Alcohol abuse was down to 13 percent from 23 percent in 2002.

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