Iowa

NOTICE: It can be challenging for patients to determine which businesses offering cannabis products are licensed and approved by the state. Review this list of medical cannabis retailers to find out where to purchase regulated cannabis in Iowa. 

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Background on State Laws

Through the MEDICAL CANNABIDIOL ACT, CHAPTER 124E, there is limited medical cannabis availability in Iowa. The program limits patients to cannabidiol preparations with 0.3 percent or less THC, in compliance with USDA hemp standards. The state has authorized the production of CBD from in-state industrial hemp cultivators and distribution by dispensaries. Details on how these laws apply to patients and medical professionals can be found below.

Here is a breakdown of how Iowa fared in ASA’s Annual State of the States Report, which evaluates the effectiveness of each state cannabis program from a patient perspective and assigns a grade using a rubric that reflects the key issues affecting patient access. Medical cannabis laws are constantly changing, ASA’s policy recommendations for Iowa can be found below. For policy updates Sign Up here or Take Action!

Patient Rights and Civil Protections	50/100
Arrest Protection 25/25 Affirmative Defense 20/20 Parental Rights Protections 0/20 Employment Protections 0/20 DUI Protections 0/10 Explicit Privacy Standards 5/5
Access to Medicine	20/100
Authorizes Retail Access 10/10 Alternative Accessibility Methods 0/20 - Authorizes Delivery 0/10 - Authorizes Curbside Pickup 0/10 Personal Cultivation 0/15 Collective Gardening 0/5 Sufficient Number of Licensed Retailers 5/30 Reciprocity 5/20
Program Functionality	57/100
Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame 10/20 Reasonable Possession Limits 10/10 Reasonable Purchase Limits 0/10 Telemedicine for Physician Certifications 15/15 Patient and Physician Representation in Program Decision Making 10/20 Reasonable Caregiver Standards 5/5 - Background Checks 2/2 - Number of Caregivers 3/3 Reasonable Physician Standards 4/5 Access to Administration Methods 3/10 - Allows Dried Flower 0/5 - Allows Edibles, Concentrates, and Other Forms 3/5 Provides Access to Minors on School Grounds 0/5
Affordability	20/100
Sales Tax Break for Patients and Caregivers 0/20 Covered by State Insurance or Health Aid 0/20 Reasonable Registration Fees 10/20 Financial Hardship Waivers or Discounts 10/20 Donation Program 0/10 Allows Multi-Year Registrations 0/10
Health and Social Equity	15/100
State Program Protections 0/25 Housing Protections 0/25 Access for Minors 10/10 Access in Underserved Areas 0/10 List of Qualifying Conditions is Exhaustive or All Inclusive 5/10 Allows Patients to Medicate Where they Choose 0/10 Organ Transplants 0/5 Ownership or Employment Restrictions 0/5
Consumer Protection and Product Safety	113/200
Cultivation Operations 27/50 Quality Management Systems 10/10 Staff Training 5/10 Standard Operating Procedures 4/8 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Water Management 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Pesticide Usage Limitations 0/2 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/2 Required Testing 4/8 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 1/1 - Aflatoxins 0/1 - Pesticides 1/1 - Heavy Metals 1/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Moisture Content/ Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 1/3 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting, and Recall Protocol 3/7 Manufacturing Operations 28/50 Quality Management Systems 10/10 Staff Training 5/10 Standard Operating Procedures 3/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 0/1 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/3 Required Testing 5/10 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 1/1 - Aflatoxins 0/1 - Pesticides 1/1 - Heavy Metals 1/1 - Residual Solvents 1/1 - Homogeneity 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 2/5 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Ingredients 1/1 - Allergens 0/1 - Nutritional Content 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 3/5 Dispensary Operations 16/50 Staff Training 5/20 Standard Operating Procedures 4/7 - Facility Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 1/1 Product Testing 0/10 - Product Meets Requirements Before Sale 0/5 - COA Disclosure 0/5 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 7/13 Laboratory Operations 42/50 Independent or Third-Party 5/5 Laboratory Sampling 0/5 Method Validation 4/4 Quality Management Systems 5/5 Staff Training 20/20 Standard Operating Procedures 4/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Equipment and Instrument Calibration 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Sample Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 1/1 Result Reporting 4/4
Score Penalties	5/100
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use 0/20 Classifies Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 0/15 Administrative or Supply Problems 0/15 Requires Vertical Integration 0/10 Creates New Criminal Penalties for Patients 0/10 Limits Patients to a Single Retailer 0/10 No System for Adding Qualifying Conditions 0/10 Imposes Bans or Limits on THC 5/5 Imposes Bans or Limits on CBD 0/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2022 State of the States Report.