Iowa Cannabis Information Portal

What is the State of Marijuana in Iowa?

Recreational cannabis is illegal in Iowa, but medical cannabis is legal in the state in some form. Through the Medical Cannabidiol Act and subsequent amendments, Iowa allows its residents with approved conditions to use up to 4.5 grams of total THC over a 90-day period under its Medical Cannabidiol Program (MCP). Iowa permits patients to exceed the 4.5 grams of THC per 90-day limit under two exceptions:

• If a patient has a certified terminal condition with a probable life expectancy of less than 12 months
• If the patient's original healthcare practitioner determines that 4.5 grams is not sufficient for the patient. However, in this case, the patient must not be new to the Iowa MCP

The approved conditions for which Iowans may use medical cannabidiol are:

• Cancer – if the condition or its treatment produces one or more of the following:
  • cachexia or severe wasting
  • nausea or severe vomiting
  • severe or chronic pain
• Crohn’s disease
• Chronic pain
• AIDS or HIV
• Parkinson's disease
• Seizures
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with persistent and severe muscle spasms
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Any terminal illness with a life expectancy of under one year, causing one or more of the following: chronic or severe pain, nausea or severe vomiting, cachexia or severe wasting
• Ulcerative colitis
• Severe, intractable pediatric autism with self-injurious or aggressive behaviors
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Corticobasal Degeneration
• Severe, intractable autism with self-injurious or aggressive behaviors

Under the Iowa MCP, minors can also use medical marijuana by designating adult caregivers to buy medical cannabidiol for them from licensed dispensaries. Note that the patients' physicians assign caregivers and not the patients. Caregivers may be residents of Iowa or other neighboring states, such as Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Illinois. Prior to obtaining a medical cannabidiol card, patients, whether adult or minor, must first get certifications to use medical cannabidiols from qualified Iowa healthcare providers. Only a Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathy, podiatrist, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, or physician assistant may issue medical cannabidiol certifications in Iowa.

Registered patients must present photo IDs and Iowa medical cannabidiol registry cards at licensed dispensaries to be able to buy at the facilities. Consuming your products in public or on federal property in Iowa is illegal. Iowa permits medical cannabidiol products to be sold in the form of suppositories, nebulizable inhalable forms, vapes, orals, and topicals. The state only has one licensed medical cannabidiol manufacturer and does not allow patients to cover their purchases with insurance.

Patients and potential patients are advised to review their employee handbooks for THC or marijuana policies to ensure that using cannabidiol products at work or outside of work is not banned by their employers.

How Has Marijuana Affected the Iowa Economy?

While there are no official figures on how much Iowa has generated from the tax on medical cannabidiol, the medical cannabidiol program has seen a year-on increase in patient participation and revenue by licensed dispensaries. Compared to the 7,800 patients enrolled in the MCP in 2021, more than 15,000 patients registered with the program at the end of 2022. Also, official state figures for sales made by licensed retailers totaled $10.2 million in 2022. In 2021, 2020, and 2019, the figures for overall sales were $6.2 million, $3.5 million, and $2 million.

The Iowa MCP has also created jobs for Iowans. Due to the growing demand for medical cannabidiol in Iowa, Bud and Mary’s, one of the leading licensed dispensaries in the state, launched a $10 million expansion of its production operations in 2022. The expansion has led to the creation of more jobs for Iowa residents.

What is the Marijuana Crime Rate in Iowa?

Arrests for marijuana possession have reduced in Iowa since the 2014 legalization of medical cannabidiol in the state. In 2014, there were 5,400 arrests for marijuana possession, but that figure only dropped slightly in 2016, with 5,195 arrests made statewide for marijuana possession. In 2018, arrest numbers dropped to 4,740, while the state recorded 4,214 arrests for marijuana possession in 2020. By 2021, the arrest number recorded for marijuana possession fell to 3,867.

Violent and property crime index rates have dropped in Iowa since 2014. In 2014, the state recorded violent and property crime index rates of 8,484 and 65,100 incidents per 100,000 people, while in 2019, these figures had 8,410 and 54,699 per 100,000 residents, respectively.

What is the History of Iowa Marijuana?

In 2014, the Iowa Senate passed Senate File 2360, also called the Medical Cannabidiol Act, by a vote of 36 to 12. The measure passed with unanimous votes from the Democratic Party and the support of ten Republican Party members. At the time, 58% of Iowans supported the use of medical cannabis.

Prior to July 1, 2014, it was unlawful to possess or use cannabis in any form, including CBD oil, in the state of Iowa. The Medical Cannabidiol Act, which became effective in Iowa on July 1, 2014, permits patients with epilepsy-related seizures to possess and use cannabidiol oil within the state. Patients and designated caregivers were permitted to possess up to 32 ounces or a 6-month supply of cannabidiol if they had state-issued medical cannabis licenses and recommendations from registered Iowa neurologists. In order to be lawful for possession and use within the state, cannabidiol oil must contain a THC concentration of 3% or less.

In 2017, Governor Branstad signed HF 524, which expanded legal access for patients with Parkinson's, cancer, multiple sclerosis, seizures, HIV/AIDS, Crohn's disease, ALS, and the majority of terminal illnesses with a life expectancy of less than a year, as well as intractable pain. HF 524 also permitted the production of low-THC cannabis products within the state, establishing a framework for growers, manufacturers, and distributors to submit proposals.

In 2018, Iowa issued five licenses for dispensaries, and in December of that year, sales of medical cannabis products (with a maximum THC content of 3 percent) began. In 2019, the state added autism spectrum disorders and ulcerative colitis to the list of qualifying conditions and permitted patients to possess, purchase, and use inhalable forms of medical cannabidiol cannabis.

However, in June 2020, Governor Kim Reynolds signed House Bill 2589, which added more qualifying conditions and expanded the list of physicians authorized to recommend medical cannabidiol. The new law also increased the quantity of THC permitted from 3% or less to 4.5 grams of total THC per 90-day period.

Note that recreational cannabis is illegal in Iowa. On October 27, 1970, the federal Controlled Substance Act was signed into law. The Controlled Substances Act of 2009 established five schedules or classifications for medications believed to have addictive properties, as defined by the DEA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Historically and currently, the Controlled Substances Act classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance. However, each state has its regulations regarding controlled substances. Controlled substances are governed by Iowa Administrative Code 657 and Chapter 124 in the State of Iowa.

Iowa moved to decriminalize cannabis possession in 2014 through House File 2313, but the bill was rejected. In February 2023, Iowa legislators introduced a Marijuana Reform Bill. If passed into law, the Bill would legalize the use of recreational marijuana of up to 500 milligrams for adults 21 or older with valid identification.