Woodbury County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Woodbury County?

The Medical Cannabidiol Act, or the State of Iowa Code Chapter 124E, and the Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) 641-154 permit licensed cannabis cultivation solely for medical use in Woodbury County. The Medical Cannabis Program is managed by the Bureau of Cannabis Regulation (BCR) of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The HHS is authorized by Chapter 124E and IAC 641-154 to award to applicants with sufficient qualifications the medical cannabis manufacturer license, which authorizes the cultivation of medical cannabis crops and manufacturing of medical cannabis products for sale only to fellow licensed manufacturers as well as licensed medical cannabis dispensaries. A $7,500 non-refundable application fee was imposed.

The proprietors and staff of a licensed medical cannabis producer firm must also have completed a criminal history investigation and have not been convicted of any disqualifying felony charges, according to Chapter 124E. Staff must be aged 18 or above.

Any licensed medical cannabis manufacturer's facility must be situated at the same address as that in its registration and at a distance of over 1,000 feet from an educational institution. It is illegal for it to share a space with a licensed medical cannabis retail shop, or a healthcare practitioner. It must not enable medical cannabis usage on-site. HHS restrictions apply to all signs, exhibits, advertising, and promotions.

A secured, enclosed building with an intrusion detector, alarm, and employee identification for entry management are requirements for every licensed medical cannabis manufacturing facility. The site will be inspected by HHS.

Each batch of medical cannabis crops and products must have random samples obtained by the licensed manufacturer in order for them to be analyzed for content, purity, and quality by an accredited laboratory of the HHS. An inventory system must be kept up to date with accurate data.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Woodbury County?

Chapter 124E of the State of Iowa’s Code and IAC 641-154 allow licensed medical cannabis product manufacturing in Woodbury County. Only HHS medical cannabis manufacturing licensees may do so. They must follow the same rules as stated previously.

Furthermore, the licensed medical cannabis product manufacturer must follow all of the regulations for packaging safety as well as labeling that is comprehensive and accurate, including cautionary statements, as outlined in IAC 641-154.21(124E). These include the requirements for packaging to be tamper-proof and child-safe but easy to handle by seniors.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Woodbury County?

Licensed retail selling of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products in Woodbury County to medical cannabis cardholders exclusively is allowed by the State of Iowa’s Code Chapter 124E and IAC 641-154.

Chapter 124E and IAC 641-154 enabled the HHS to issue medical cannabis dispensary licenses to qualifying applicants. The application costs $5,000 and is non-refundable. Licensed medical cannabis dispensaries are subject to the same application requirements, background checks for criminal activity, location specifications, security standards, inventory procedures, and constraints against sharing a site with a healthcare professional as those that are applicable to licensed medical cannabis manufacturers. Furthermore, a licensed medical cannabis retail shop must always have on-site a licensed pharmacist or licensed pharmacy technician to oversee every transaction.

A medical marijuana cardholder is only permitted to buy 4.5 grams of medical marijuana and medical marijuana products from a licensed dispensary every 90 days. This restriction may be exceeded only if a waiver form from the certifying healthcare practitioner of the patient is uploaded on the online registry, indicating the new maximum authorized for the specific patient. These exemptions are made for terminally ill patients with less than a year to live, or if the healthcare practitioner believes that the medical condition of the patient necessitates a greater dosage for therapy.

According to IAC 641-154, licensed medical cannabis shops are not permitted to sell any type of medical cannabis intended for smoking as well as edible medical cannabis products. They are only permitted to sell forms of medical cannabis for oral intake and those that are inhalable or topical, such as the following:

• Gels
• Tinctures
• Ointments
• Liquids
• Creams
• Tablets
• Lotions
• Capsules
• Suppositories
• Sublingual products
• Transdermal patches
• Nebulizable products
• Vaping products

When making a transaction, the licensed medical cannabis retail shop employees must accomplish the following:

1. Ascertain that the identity of the purchaser corresponds to that of the presented medical cannabis card and legitimate government-issued ID.
2. Check on the online registry if the purchaser's medical cannabis card is current and valid.
3. Make sure that the purchase of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products does not go over the specific patient's cap based on past purchases entered into the online registry.
4. Make sure that each medical cannabis item and medical cannabis product sold has a unique tracking number.
5. Make sure that the label of every medical cannabis item and medical cannabis product sold carries the purchasing patient's registration number and unique tracking number.
6. Make sure that the label or insert of every medical cannabis item and medical cannabis product sold carries the name and address of the dispensary, the time and date of the transaction, and product use instructions.
7. Make sure that the insert, label, or packaging does not include any claims that are false, misleading, or unsubstantiated.
8. Make sure that the sales and inventory tracking system of the licensed medical cannabis dispensary is updated within the same working day regarding every transaction, with information on the purchaser’s identity, the time and date of the sale, the volume and prices of medical cannabis and products sold, the unique tracking number of every sold item, and other data.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Woodbury County?

The State of Iowa's Code Chapter 124E prohibits licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in Woodbury County from delivering to medical cannabis cardholders the medical cannabis and medical cannabis products they purchase. The right to transport medical cannabis and its products is given only to licensed medical cannabis manufacturers, and they can only deliver to other licensed medical cannabis manufacturers, as well as to licensed medical cannabis retailers, laboratories for testing, and cannabis waste disposal facilities.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Woodbury County

Woodbury County residents must read the Information for Patients About Medical Cannabidiol in Iowa prior to a medical cannabis card application.

A medical or osteopathic doctor or surgeon, physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, advanced practice registered nurse, or podiatrist, who must be state-licensed, must be presented with a printout of the Healthcare Practitioner Certification (HCPC) Form. If the patient has been diagnosed to be suffering from one of the following qualifying illnesses, the practitioner will sign the form:

• Cancer with one of these:
  • Cachexia
  • Chronic pain
  • Severe wasting
  • Severe pain
  • Nausea
  • Severe vomiting
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Crohn’s disease
• Severe intractable autism with aggressive or self-injurious behavior
• Parkinson’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Seizures
• Severe and persistent muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis
• HIV
• Chronic pain
• AIDS
• Corticobasal degeneration
• A terminal illness with less than a year of life expectancy, accompanied by any of these:
  • Cachexia
  • Chronic pain
  • Severe wasting
  • Severe pain
  • Nausea
  • Severe vomiting

The Adult Patient Application must be finished in the new patient account that a patient older than 18 must create on the online patient portal. The scanned HCPC Form, as well as a scanned valid state picture ID, must be provided. If you provide a scan or digital image of any of the following, your online payment of $100 can be reduced to $25:

• Notice for Social Security Disability (SSDI) Benefits
• Iowa Medicaid Membership Card
• Hawk-I Membership Card
• Receipt for a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Payment

Adult patients who require help and patients under the age of 18 must be registered via the online caregiver portal by their caregiver who must complete their Caregiver Application. Except for the HCPC Form of the patient, all digitized papers to be submitted should be from the caregiver.

Applicants will receive a temporary card through email. They can print out and use it while they wait for their official medical marijuana card to be delivered in the mail.

Queries may be sent to the following:

Bureau of Cannabis Regulation

Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Lucas State Office Building

ATTN: BCR

321 E. 12th St.

Des Moines, IA 50319

Email: medical.cannabidiol@idph.iowa.gov

Phone: 877-214-9313

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Woodbury County?

Every gram of medical cannabis product is taxed $5 and every medical cannabis plant is taxed $750 by the State of Iowa, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue.

The June 2023 Medical Cannabidiol Program Update on the Medical Cannabis Program Data and Statistics Page shows the following monthly sales from medical cannabis dispensaries in the state:

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Woodbury County

Medical cannabis was legalized in Woodbury County in 2017.

Data sent by the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office to the FBI Crime Explorer page shows that in 2016, a year before the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 45 marijuana possession arrests and no marijuana sales arrests.

In 2018, a year after the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 48 marijuana possession arrests and no marijuana sales arrests.

In 2021, the latest data showed 13 marijuana possession arrests and no marijuana sales arrests.

The number of DUI arrests during those years was as follows:

• 2016: 96 arrests
• 2018: 90 arrests
• 2021: 83 arrests