Iowa Next For Medical Marijuana?

An editorial in Iowa’s Quad City Times documented that Iowa Pharmacy Board voted unanimously that marijuana has medicinal properties and would benefit Iowans the way it does in the 14 states where medical marijuana is legal. The vote came after four public forums, which were precipitated by an American Civil Liberties lawsuit that urged public discussion of the matter, after the board declined to consider medical marijuana use in 2008.

While there was concern that unregulated medical marijuana could surface in illicit drug trade, the board, which includes five pharmacists and one public member, all supported the use for medical purposes.

The editorial team at the paper notes that drugs like Vicodin are “abused recreationally,” just as marijuana is, but the concern about legalizing medical marijuana use without fueling the recreational market is up to the state and federal legislatures. “We expect that will be a stretch for state legislatures. But we also expect lawmakers to listen to studied experts, not dated stereotypes. Regulate beneficial medical uses of marijuana, just as the state regulates dozens of other medicines subject to illegal abuse,” wrote the paper’s editorial board.

Visit QCTimes.com for the complete article.