Senate Amendment Delays Implementation of Tennessee Medical Cannabis Legislation

The Iowa House has approved legislation that would change the THC cap in the state’s medical cannabis program, according to a Des Moines Register report.

The bill, House File 2589, would replace the state’s current 3% THC limit for medical cannabis products with a limit of 4.5 grams of THC in a 90-day period. Patients could access more than 4.5 grams of THC within that timeframe if a doctor determines that 4.5 grams is insufficient to treat their condition or if they are terminally ill, Des Moines Register reported.

The legislation, which follows the recommendations of the Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board, cleared the House in a 52-46 vote, according to the news outlet.

The bill would also add more qualifying conditions to the program and allow more health care practitioners to recommend cannabis to patients, Des Moines Register reported. Under the legislation, post-traumatic stress disorder and “severe, intractable autism with self-injurious or aggressive behaviors” would be added, and physician assistants, podiatrists, advanced registered nurse practitioners and advanced practice registered nurses could recommend cannabis to patients.

Earlier this year, lawmakers introduced two additional legislative proposals to raise the state’s 3% THC cap on medical cannabis products.

House Study Bill 653 also aimed to replace the 3% THC limit with the limit of 4.5 grams over 90 days.

Senate Study Bill 3136 sought to increase the limit to 25 grams of THC over a 90-day period.

The legislature passed similar legislation last year that would have replaced the state’s current 3% THC cap with a rule that patients could purchase up to 25 grams of cannabis every 90 days, but the bill conflicted with recommendations from the Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board, and Gov. Kim Reynolds ultimately vetoed the proposal.

The Medical Cannabidiol Board held its first meeting of the year last month, and it upheld its recommendation to implement a limit of 4.5 grams of cannabis every 90 days.

Reynolds is expected to sign House File 2589 into law, should it pass the Senate, Des Moines Register reported.