The Iowa Pharmacy Board has voted 6-0 to propose a bill in the state legislature that would reclassify cannabis as a Schedule II drug – meaning it has some medicinal value and make it easier to legalize the drug for medical purposes. . This is the first step toward bringing medical marijuana to Iowa; a separate bill legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes would have to be introduced in the legislature.

State law currently lists marijuana as a Schedule I drug which has almost no legal purposes. Legislators would also have to approve a separate medical-marijuana program if they accept the board's proposal. Gov.-elect Terry Branstad, is among several state lawmakers who've said they oppose that idea. Opponents say the medical-marijuana campaign is a front for people who want to use the drug recreationally. Supporters of the bill say marijuana can ease symptoms for patients with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other ailments.

Patients in the Midwest have a severe lack of options when it comes to medical cannabis – Michigan being the only exception. Iowa entering the fold would be a big step to bringing relief to that part of the country, hopefully making neighboring states realize that legalizing medical cannabis isn’t the end of the world; it’s just the compassionate and right thing to do.

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