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Iowa Pharmacy Board Says Marijuana is Medicine

Submitted by Phillip Smith on
Drug War Issues
Medical Marijuana
Politics & Advocacy
State & Local Executive Branches

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy Tuesday declared that marijuana is a drug with medicinal purposes. In doing so, it agreed to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II under Iowa law.

The board found that while marijuana has a high potential for abuse, it is now considered to have accepted medical uses. Schedule I drugs are those that have no proven or accepted medical use.

But the board denied a request from petitioner Carl Olson of Des Moines that it promulgate rules on the medical use of marijuana. That is beyond the scope of the board's authority, chairman Vernon Benjamin said. While the board can regulate drugs and pharmacists, it is up to the legislature to approve the medicinal use of marijuana, he said.

"We can't set any penalties. We can't set any guidelines on how marijuana's going to be produced, what standards are going to be. And I think all those kind of things are things the legislature's going to have the ultimate say-so about anyway," said Benjamin in remarks reported by local media.

The ball is now in the hands of the legislature, which so far has failed to act to pass a medical marijuana bill.

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Comments

Failynn (not verified)

Pot heads do not go out and rape and steal like coke heads or drunks.  A drunk is legal but a drunk man is more likely to rape a woman he met in the bar than a pot head.  Shit a pot head is lucky if he can get his high ass up to go to the fridge to take care of his munchies.

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 11:27pm Permalink
Iowagreen (not verified)

As a resident, belive me when I say. This a HUGE step for this state.

Thu, 11/04/2010 - 12:51pm Permalink
GLKing (not verified)

Until the Federal Government makes a move it doesn't matter what States do.  The Constitution specifically states that Laws that aren't reserved to the Federal Government are to the States.  This is what Article 10 discusses.  Since Marijuana is a Schedule I drug as listed by the FDA and DEA until they remove it no State law is going to matter.

Fri, 11/05/2010 - 3:37pm Permalink
online_doctor (not verified)

Making marijuana legal could have several benefits, one of them being that patients who require medical marijuana can take them safely without fear of persecution. The number of minor  crimes related to possession of the drug would fall too.

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 5:05am Permalink

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