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Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines urged state lawmakers to pass legislation that would legalize medical marijuana. In a letter April 26 to House and Senate members, Pates said a comprehensive bill was needed to "give Iowans the ability to produce a safe and consistent treatment as well as...

Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines urged state lawmakers to pass legislation that would legalize medical marijuana. In a letter April 26 to House and Senate members, Bishop Pates said a comprehensive bill was needed to "give Iowans the ability to produce a safe and consistent treatment as...

Advocates to expanding Iowa's limited medical marijuana law held an emotional rally at the statehouse this afternoon. Michelle Richardson of Norwalk has multiple sclerosis and she wants lawmakers to set up a growing and distribution operation here in Iowa for cannabis vapor. "If I have to...

Republican lawmakers in Iowa have approached Minnesota officials, to see if that state would let Iowans go north to get medical marijuana. The governors of both states are involved in the discussions. "It's very expensive to grow and distribute in the state, so the scale of economy doesn't...

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is looking at the prospect to expand access to medical marijuana in the state. House republicans floated an idea around last week, that would link Iowa and Minnesota to allow Iowans to buy cannabis oil from dispensaries in that state. Governor Branstad Monday...

A bid to legalize possession of cannabis oil beyond treatment for chronic epilepsy to cover Iowans who suffer from six other serious medical conditions failed in the Iowa House tonight. Representative Zach Nunn, a Republican from Bondurant whose mother has cancer, said Iowans will be able buy...

Iowa and Minnesota lawmakers are exploring a system to allow Iowa residents to buy medical marijuana oil from their northern neighbor, according to lawmakers from both states. As Iowa's Legislature barrels toward adjournment, legislative leaders are struggling to expand a 2014 law that...

Legislators are debating Iowa's marijuana laws on the foundation of one basic question: Can a state expand access to medical marijuana while limiting recreational use? Medical marijuana has been an active topic of debate by the Iowa Legislature for the better part of a decade. Democrats and...

A Cedar Falls family exhausted and out of options for their four year old, Garrett. Garrett suffers from seizures nearly every day. The Deckers are asking Iowa lawmakers to approve the proposed expansion of Iowa's Medical Marijuana Law, to allow for the availability of cannabis oil in our...

More than 100 city and county elected officials signed a letter to state lawmakers urging them to expand Iowa's limited medical cannabis program. The letter, released Wednesday to the media, urges legislators to "pass a bill that will allow for medical cannabis to be produced, distributed and...

Governor Terry Branstad's "willingness" to work on expanding Iowa's medical marijuana law is seen as a "great positive sign" by Representative Peter Cownie. Cownie, a Republican from West Des Moines, is sponsoring legislation that would set up marijuana growing and distribution centers in...

Governor Terry Branstad isn't closing the door on a bill that would adjust Iowa's medical marijuana law. "I've indicated a willingness to work with the legislature on this as well as other issues," Branstad says. "I reserve judgment until we see it in its final form, but certainly this is an...

Supporters of medical cannabis swarmed the Iowa statehouse Tuesday to gain the attention of lawmakers. They're asking for passage of a bill that creates a medical cannabis program in Iowa allowing people to make, distribute, and have the drug in their homes. Community leaders, gathered on...

Iowans 4 Medical Cannabis hosted a Compassionate Cannabis Rally at the Capitol on Tuesday to support legislation that would expand the state's current medical cannabis law. The bill would allow manufacturing, distribution and possession of medical cannabis in Iowa. Republican Rep. Peter...

Rachael Selmeski has witnessed the positive impact medical cannabis can have on children with debilitating conditions. She said it has saved her young daughter's life. The Iowa native said it is unfortunate she had to move to Colorado in order for her daughter to realize those benefits...

As I sat through testimonies from Iowans who are out of medical options for themselves or their loved ones on Feb. 17 in the House Commerce Subcommittee, I began to cry. I could not stop. The suffering is deep. People want to live; they want to be healthy. The pharmaceutical industry has failed...

More than three-quarters of Iowans now favor allowing people to use marijuana as medicine, but most remain opposed to legalizing it for recreation, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. Iowans have steadily become more comfortable with the use of medical marijuana, which now is...

Influential Iowa business leaders are urging state legislators to pass a bill that would expand the state's medical marijuana laws. The Des Moines Register reports that more than 90 business leaders sent lawmakers a letter, asking them to debate and pass comprehensive medical cannabis...

The funnel deadline occurred earlier in the 2016 session than it has in recent sessions. "Funnel" refers to the deadline set by the Legislature for any policy bill to be passed out of its respective committee so as to remain eligible that session. Moving up the funnel is meant to demonstrate...

A committee in the Iowa House has voted to legalize the limited growth of marijuana in Iowa for distribution as medicine to treat three conditions: epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and end-stage cancer. It's a scaled back version of legislation that was considered in the Iowa Senate last year...