Editor's note: This editorial is a part of our drug issue. Iowa, though it may not look like it, is predominantly an industrial wasteland. The state, according to the Natural History Museum at the University of Iowa, is nearly 99 percent terraformed; few pockets of untouched earth remain. According to Iowa State University, approximately 85 percent of this land alteration has been implemented throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries for industrial agriculture, specifically row crops such as soybeans and corn. [continues 488 words]
There are many reasons to be excited about the inevitable end of the War on Drugs, specifically the incredibly wasteful practice of marijuana prohibition. The end of wasting billions of dollars upholding an unenforceable law, the discontinuation of a system that intensifies the worst racial injustices of the American legal system through the disproportionate sentencing rates of African Americans and Latinos compared with whites, and boatloads of revenue should be reaped from taxation of the newly legalized drug. In a political environment that's up to its eyeballs in bad news, it's incredibly uplifting to find a public-policy issue in which our political representatives seem to be heading toward a sane solution. [continues 496 words]
As more and more states and municipalities test the waters of legalizing medical marijuana, some have argued that Iowa's conservative roots would prevent a similar effort from getting through the Legislature. Outside of the major population centers, this line of reasoning goes, support for controversial policies such as medical marijuana loses momentum, especially as the use of marijuana decreases. But poll results released Tuesday paint a different picture. The University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll, a survey of approximately 1,000 Iowans, found 59.3 percent of respondents from all age groups support legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes. [continues 493 words]
While there have been studies showing that marijuana can shrink cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug. If a doctor recommends marijuana to a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, and it helps them feel better, then it's working. In the end, medical marijuana is a quality-of-life decision best left to patients and their doctors. Drug warriors waging war on noncorporate drugs contend that organic marijuana is not an effective health intervention. Their prescribed intervention for medical marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells, and criminal records. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors should not dictate health-care decisions. [continues 62 words]
Two months after Colorado and Washington became the first American states to legalize recreational use of marijuana, a proposal to reform Iowa's marijuana laws has come to the state House of Representatives. Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, proposed the Medical Marijuana Act last week. The Daily Iowan Editorial Board supports Hunter's push for medical marijuana in Iowa; the current legal framework around the drug in Iowa is untenable, and this proposal would be the first step toward improvement. Passage of the Medical Marijuana Act would also be a major victory for patients in Iowa who are currently deprived of a legitimate means of treating some particularly debilitating conditions. [continues 514 words]
Decriminalization of marijuana is not an issue that is discussed by Serious People in America who want to focus on Serious Issues. It's just "pot." It's for "stoners." You want it to be legal? You must be a "stoner." It's not a Serious Issue. This attitude and the amount of misinformation about marijuana is destroying the ability to have a rational debate on the topic. It's a new age of McCarthyism, but instead of calling adversaries communists, the pro-criminalization camp labels their opponents "stoners," a far more effective label because it implies incompetence rather than dastardly plans. President Obama and candidate Mitt Romney have both avoided questions about medicinal marijuana during the caucus and primary season. Some Iowa legislators, including Iowa City's Sen. Joe Bolkcomm, are hoping to start a discussion on the issue of medical marijuana this year, but getting their colleagues to take the issue seriously will be an uphill battle. [continues 485 words]
A Gallup Poll in 2010 Showed Americans in Support of Legalizing Marijuana Outnumbered Those in Opposition Even those who support marijuana legalization admit this probably won't be their year in Iowa. At least one Iowa Senate Republican is calling on lawmakers to consider legislation to legalize pot for medical use, the measure will likely stall in the Legislature again this year. Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, who has supported legalizing medical marijuana for years, said conversation will keep the issue relevant, but any serious action will take some time. [continues 517 words]
The war on drugs has failed. It's time to legalize marijuana, decriminalize other drugs, and implement science-based policies instead of fear-mongering. These are not the words of drug-reform advocates, but those of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, a 19-member panel made up of high-profile international experts. The panel's June 2 report declared the war on drugs a failure in no uncertain terms. If the drug war was supposed to accomplish anything, it was to decrease the consumption of drugs and limit access to them. Quite the opposite has happened. [continues 463 words]
The Iowa Legislature may consider the marijuana legislation in January A new Hawkeye Poll shows the majority of Iowans are in favor of medical marijuana, and proposed legislation could make that a possibility. The poll -- administered by UI professors and students -- found 62 percent of Iowans are in favor of legalizing medical marijuana, which is in line with the results from other states. This finding comes on the heels of the Iowa Board of Pharmacy's unanimous decision to draw up legislation for the Iowa Legislature to consider when it reconvenes in Januar that would change the designation of marijuana from a Schedule 1 to a Schedule 2 drug. [continues 390 words]
For all of those hopeful, keep dreaming. Obtaining a written prescription for medical marijuana in Iowa likely won't happen anytime soon, according to one state legislator. While the Iowa Board of Pharmacy recently took its final step, drawing up legislation for the Iowa Legislature to consider when it reconvenes in January, Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, told the Editorial Board "the bill has no chance this year." Jacoby said he doesn't expect it to even get out of subcommittee. [continues 392 words]
As Iowans, we certainly believe it to be fitting that the Declaration of Independence, a document we all spent the weekend celebrating, cherishes, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Over the last two years, it's been to our delight that we've watched that liberty, particularly here in Iowa, grow. We at the DI Editorial Board feel it is important to remember, always, that our democracy is a means to those most specific of ends and that our democracy is not an end in and of itself. [continues 538 words]
The once bright future for medical marijuana is looking a lot hazier after a recent dispute between the Iowa Board of Pharmacy and the state's legislators. Medical marijuana in Iowa had appeared to be heading toward legalization, but there have been major arguments lately on whether it is up to the state board or the Legislature to give the final go-head. Each party points to the other, and as they do so, the prospects of obtaining a prescription for medical marijuana seem to be further from reach. [continues 438 words]
The Iowa Board of Pharmacy's recommendation on Wednesday to simultaneously reclassify marijuana and create a body to oversee the possible legalization of the plant for medical use is commendable and realistic. Iowa legislators -- and other states -- should take note. The board voted unanimously to recommend shifting marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to Schedule II -- a switch that would recognize the potential medical benefits and open the door for possible legalization. While the legislation needed to change the plant's categorization likely won't come until next year at the earliest, the decision is still a major victory for Iowans who tout the medical benefits of the drug. [continues 402 words]
Officials from the Iowa Board of Pharmacy voted unanimously to recommend that the state Legislature legalize the use of medical marijuana on Wednesday. The proposal would reduce marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule II, classifying the drug as presenting the potential for abuse but also having acceptable medical uses. If the suggestion passes through the Legislature, the Board of Pharmacy would become the nation's first such organization to back medical marijuana use. Lloyd Jessen, the director of Iowa's Board of Pharmacy, said because a state agency made the recommendations, a legalization bill cannot be filed until next year at the earliest. [continues 404 words]
Our esteemed Editorial Board -- of which I am a member -- advocated medical marijuana's legalization on Oct. 9. In an interview with Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, he talked with passion about the need to legalize medical marijuana but hesitated to support recreational use. He said Iowa was not ready to legalize recreational marijuana, and the Editorial Board agreed. I agree Iowa should legalize medical marijuana, but only because everyone should be able to use it. That's not to say I believe marijuana has limited medicinal benefits. In fact, I have very personal reasons to advocate medical marijuana use. My mother suffers from glaucoma and has terrible headaches from the pressure. Many times she goes without sleep from the pain and takes large doses of ibuprofen to little avail. She hesitates (rightly so) to take stronger medication because of adverse effects. Marijuana is known to reduce glaucoma pressure and could effectively treat my mother's ailments. [continues 417 words]
Regarding your Oct. 9 editorial, if health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms, marijuana would be legal. Unlike alcohol, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the addictive properties of tobacco. Marijuana can be harmful if abused, but jail cells are inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents. Dire warnings that marijuana inspires homicidal rages have been counterproductive at best. Marijuana prohibition has failed miserably as a deterrent. The United States has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, where possession of marijuana is decriminalized. Students who want to help end the inter-generational culture war otherwise known as the war on some drugs should contact Students for Sensible Drug Policy at www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com. Robert Sharpe policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy [end]
Crawfordsville, Iowa, resident Lisa Jackson had been taking a wide assortment of opiates before she experienced what she called a two-week overdose. Not that she'd noticed it; she was in too much pain. Jackson suffers from fibromyalgia, a chronic condition causing extreme body pain and fatigue. The opiates, legally prescribed painkillers, could not ease her pain, she said. Jackson contemplated suicide until she tried marijuana -- which, she said, eased her pain in a way the opiates couldn't. Her testimony is not unique. Many people suffering from chronic conditions -- including several at Wednesday's Iowa Pharmacy Board's medical-marijuana hearing in Iowa City -- have testified about marijuana's benefits. Many studies also affirm their sentiment. [continues 494 words]
A medical marijuana hearing Wednesday in Iowa City provided a platform for those in favor of legalizing the substance for medicinal purposes. The overwhelming majority of testifiers supported the medical-marijuana cause, with few offering any opposing views. Patients with chronic pain, doctors, a former drug prosecutor, and Iowa City residents partially made up the crowd and spoke before the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. The bulk of those who testified noted the medical benefits marijuana would provide to suffering patients and contended it would be a good replacement for powerful prescription narcotics. [continues 417 words]
Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa has indicated that he opposes President Obama's recent changes to how the federal Drug Enforcement Agency approaches medical marijuana. Grassley's tired, predictable response demonstrates the extent to which he is out of touch on this issue. During the course of the grueling 2008 election cycle, Obama promised to end federal raids against medical marijuana dispensaries operating in states that legally allow them. Though this pledged policy change didn't occur immediately after the president's inauguration, administration officials have now made it clear that Obama intends to keep his word. [continues 608 words]
A bipartisan group of Minnesota lawmakers is putting forth legislation to legalize the growth of cannabis, or hemp. The Industrial Hemp Development Act (HF 608) would provide licenses to qualified farmers for the cultivation of hemp, after passing background checks, of course. Iowa lawmakers must pay close attention to the progress of Minnesota's hemp act; its success or failure may signal how a similar act would fair here. Regardless of the reaction of our neighbors to the north, hemp production will dramatically change the face of agriculture in America, and Iowans need to be out ahead of this increasingly popular trend. [continues 589 words]
