Fix Iowa’s misguided cannabis law

It’s an all too familiar legislative story. Iowa lawmakers restrict, prohibit, or ban something they perceive to be a danger. The legislation seems like the right thing to do, but lawmakers don’t fully consider unintended consequences.

This past legislative session, lawmakers became concerned about consumable hemp products containing what lawmakers saw as excessive levels of THC, the stuff that makes people feel high. They mostly focused on hemp drinks which have become popular in Iowa. Somebody might get high, which is something lawmakers could not abide.

They limited hemp products to 4 milligrams per serving and 10 mg. per package. They set 21 as the age limit for purchasing, possessing or consuming hemp products. It also makes it a crime to give hemp products to someone under 21.

Thanks to the reporting of The Gazette’s Tom Barton, we know the legislative crusade against THC has had serious consequences for parents seeking treatment for children suffering from seizures.

Barton told the story of Alyssa Loeffler and her son. Ozias, who suffers from a seizure disorder. Traditional drug treatments failed to work. But Ozias has been seizure-free for a year after taking hemp-derived CBD oil.

But thanks to Iowa’s new law, which takes affect July, products exceeding its restrictions, including the 500 mg bottle of CBD Loeffler uses, would run afoul of the law.

“How can you give us something that is saving lives just to take it away or make it more complicated for us?” Loeffler told Barton. “You gave us an option for quality of life and, now, you’re taking it away. It’s just heartbreaking.”

Gov. Kim Reynolds, who signed the bill into law, insists that people registered in Iowa’s medical cannabis program can legally posses the CBD products they currently use, even if they’re purchased online or in other states.

But it was a mistake for the Republican-controlled legislature to cause uncertainty and anxiety for families treating their kids. Some illnesses have yet to be added to the list of ailments that can be treated through the medical program. So for some, obtaining a membership card isn’t an option.

Lawmakers must go back to the drawing board carefully craft a bill that eliminates these consequences. An even better idea would be to end all this convoluted lawmaking and legalize marijuana, a move that is favored by a majority of Iowans.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com