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Iowa CBD Program


While not every state has legal medical marijuana, some still allow CBD medicine. Cannabidiol (CBD) does not have psychoactive effects, making it more acceptable for certain lawmakers. Iowa has a CBD program that works a lot like a typical medicinal cannabis program. These rules let patients find legal, natural relief.

Iowa’s CBD Laws

Iowa first legalized CBD medication in 2014. SF 2360 allowed patients with epilepsy and other seizure disorders to use CBD oil with less than three percent THC. They needed a recommendation from their neurologists to qualify. Instead of acting like a program, these laws let patients use their recommendations as affirmative defenses. In other words, they could show their recommendations as proof they could use CBD.

These preliminary laws had many limitations. Patients had to buy their medicine from outside of Iowa. If they needed CBD medicine with more than 0.3 percent THC, they could not legally transport it over state lines. Iowa now has laws that make CBD more accessible to those in need.

In 2017, Governor Terry Branstad signed a bill that made CBD oil available to patients with more conditions. That year, the state government also began to set up producers and dispensaries. They issued licenses throughout 2018 and planned to open dispensaries in December of that year.

Conditions That Qualify for CBD

Patients can get CBD medicine if their doctor certifies them for one of the following conditions:

How to Register as a Patient

If you have one of the eligible conditions, you can get medicine by:

  1. Asking your doctor to fill out their sections of the official application
  2. Submitting your application with the required documents and payment
  3. Visiting a dispensary and showing the staff your patient ID

A Step Toward Relief

Establishing an official CBD program puts Iowa one more step toward a full medical marijuana program. Iowa’s CBD program has the same rules as many programs in other states. It would only take legalizing medicine with higher amounts of THC to expand it into full-fledged medicinal marijuana laws. In the meantime, qualifying patients have access to stronger medicine than standard CBD oil.

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