The strange Iowa political trip for medical marijuana
Iowans overwhelmingly support legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, but they don't support allowing recreational uses, a new Iowa Poll shows.
Two state senators, one Republican and one Democratic: One voted in favor of the medical cannabis bill that passed in the final hours of the legislative session, one voted against it. Both are unhappy.
In a legislative session that tended to defy prediction, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that medical marijuana was the issue that kept lawmakers up all night as they tried to adjourn. It created odd, bipartisan political alliances as well as conflicts among lawmakers who support medical marijuana.
Two of those lawmakers are Sen. Tom Greene of Burlington and Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City. Both voted in favor of the Senate’s proposal to significantly expand Iowa’s medical cannabis law. The Senate bill, which passed 45-5, would have allowed the production and distribution of medical marijuana...
