For years now, the debate on whether or not to legalize marijuana has spread all across the nation and taken many forms. Today, the most prominent arguments are those for medicinal purposes. As research grows, more and more states begin to look at the potential gain from medicinal marijuana use, with Iowa being up on the slate next.

New legislation was introduced Feb. 4 in partnership with Ames Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell looking to bring the debate to Iowa.

The “Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act,” if passed, would reclassify marijuana from a Schedule 1 drug to a Schedule 2 drug as well as license four manufacturers of medicinal marijuana and establish 12 dispensaries, based on geographical need, throughout the state.

Alex Ryberg, a member of Iowa State’s chapter of the National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said that the passage of the act “would be huge because [Ryberg thinks he] sees a lot of problems, especially in Iowa, of doctors over prescribing opiates and other pills that temporarily fix the conditions.”

The states which have legalized medical marijuana primarily reclassified it from a Schedule 1 controlled substance to a Schedule 2. A Schedule 1 drug has no medical value, as indicated by the Drug Enforcement Agency DEA, while a Schedule 2 drug has recognized medical benefits. In Iowa, marijuana has always been classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance.

Wessel-Kroeschell said she believes that not only her constituency, but the rest of Iowa as a whole, will benefit from the passage, saying it would “reduce the need for the massive number of opiates prescribed for pain, so they could use something that’s not quite as dangerous, such as cannabis.”

Many other states have already begun the process of introducing medicinal marijuana in their culture, so Iowa is not alone.

MedPharm Iowa, located in Des Moines, is “[f]ocused on innovative vigor and established manufacturing practices” and strives to “[provide] medical cannabis to qualifying patients while educating the community on the benefits of medical cannabis,” according to its website.

MedPharm became Iowa’s first medical marijuana manufacturer to receive a license in November 2018.

When asked if she believed there was a large enough demand for medical marijuana for MedPharm and three other private manufacturers to be licensed, Wessel-Kroeschell said, “MedPharm truly believes there is a demand. They really need an expanded bill to make it go.”

However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not nationally reclassified marijuana in any way and the substance remains illegal in Iowa.

Ames Police Chief Charles Cychosz said the department frequently receives complaints about the smell of marijuana.

“People don’t like it,” Cychosz said.