Pharmacy board should deliver a push

Today, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy will consider restating its 2010 recommendation that marijuana be reclassified to allow some limited, regulated medical use. We urge the board to do so and once again send a message to the Iowa Legislature that the issue of medical marijuana has not gone away.

In 2010, the board voted unanimously to recommend making a marijuana a Schedule II drug, a drug recognized for its potential for abuse but also its possible medical uses. Under its current status as a Schedule I controlled substance, no medical uses are permitted. The board is scheduled to discuss renewing its recommendation in response to a petition filed this year.

A board committee heard testimony on Monday from Iowans, including a cancer patient and the mother of a child with epilepsy, who asked the board to push for reclassification once again. They're among many Iowans struggling with serious medical conditions who want marijuana to become a treatment option that can be prescribed by their doctors like so many other drugs. This isn't about making recreational marijuana use legal.

Lawmakers took one small step earlier this year by allowing parents of children with severe epilepsy to possess an oil processed from marijuana. But parents say the law left several barriers in place that have made it impossible for their children to receive the law's intended benefits.

Between that reality, and what we hope is the board's renewed recommendation, we think the message is clear for lawmakers. It's time to get to work creating a thoughtful, regulated medical marijuana program in Iowa that addresses the needs of sick Iowans and puts responsible restrictions on access. A medical system that already regulates and controls access to potent prescriptions can control access to medical marijuana. The concerns of critics can be addressed.

A Quinnipiac Poll released in March showed that 81 percent of Iowans surveyed support allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. A Des Moines Register Iowa Poll, also released in March, pegged support at 59 percent.

Eventually, public opinion will convince lawmakers to act. But for the sake of sick Iowans who want marijuana as a treatment option without having to become criminals, lawmakers should move the issue forward. And the board should give them a push today.

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