Medical Cannabidiol Board - November 8 2024

So, the first one, again, amending, you know, the name to the “Medical Cannabis Act”.  You know, this has been widely documented why we would like to do this.  You know, it’s really been an education barrier in a lot of ways.  There’s still many very important stakeholders that I speak with that aren’t totally familiar with what the program provides and I think this would help that.  The only thing I will say about this, right, other than as it relates to things, you know phrases and words that are codified, like the Medical Cannabidiol Board, or medical cannabidiol registration card, you know we’ve really taken the liberty to call it what it is.  You know, so our website is Medical Cannabis.  We always refer to it as medical cannabis.  You know, it’s again, it’s just been an education barrier in helping people understand what it is.  You know, both law enforcement, health care practitioners, you name it, it’s been important to kind of take on that kind of nomenclature.

And then to seek a federal exemption for Iowa’s program.  You know, this is, Dr. Garvin for your information this is what Carl Olsen was speaking to.  This has been, you know, he’s very much, he’s been at the tip of the spear I will say.  You know, very engaged with advocates kind of across the county on kind of this quandary, you know, right, where it’s state legal but federally illegal, and kind of doing whatever we can to help reconcile that.  And you know, as he did mention, we’ve sent letters to various federal agencies, you know asking for a waiver or an exemption from their policies for Iowa’s program that have gone unanswered.  I would say this ties into some of those conversations you’ve heard about rescheduling at the federal level, which does maybe play into some of their silence.  But, regardless, it’s a recommendation that’s stood.

And then finally number 8 which is, if you could put us back down on number 8.  As you mentioned Carl is at the tip of the spear.  He’s a very moral, upright person.  He thinks, as he said, these are gangster operations, there’s about 48 of them, because we’re violating federal law.  And we’ve been specific about this for several years.  And I know that the department has applied, or I think it's applied for what Carl wants to have done.  But I think I’ve heard him say there is more that we as a state could do.  Is it entirely in the hands of the feds?  Or, are there more steps that we could take or should repeat or should insist upon as a state department?

I mean I really, you know again I have all the respect in the world for Carl and what he does and his research and, you know, he’s our most reliable advocate, you know, in following the program.  You know I’m, again, it’s what is HHS’s role?  You know it really is in the hands of those in Congress in kind of ferreting this out.  You know I think again I really think from HHS’s standpoint we’ve done about, you know, what we’re going to do, you know, on the matter.  But I still think again if something else were to pass or something more explicit, you know, because I know that Carl made a recommendation that kind of had gotten changed in the bill that had passed.  It said to request, you know, I believe that I won’t do it justice.  I just know that Carl is not necessarily satisfied with the language.  So I think particularly with the rescheduling conversations that are going on, you know, and I know that’s kind of a word salad.  But I will do a little more due diligence, you know on our side, particularly with what we’ve done with alignment and see what the palatability, you know, what the appetite is for doing anything more on that.  But I do still think, you know, again it’s worthwhile to maintain, you know, inclusion.  And I think, you know, as you mentioned Dr. Shreck, if there was a bill introduced that, you know, encompasses the board’s recommendations as it were, you would have the ability to go and maybe lobby for some of them.  If we tweak that language we can probably figure it out there.  Again, I know that’s a little bit of a word salad.  This a tough one.  Again, with all the other things that we’re dealing with and conversations federally with the state it’s a tough one to navigate, but, again, Carl is sincere.  Obviously, we all understand the quandary between state and federal law.