DES MOINES | A legislative panel Tuesday cleared state rules to take effect Jan. 30 governing registration cards that will provide legal protection for Iowans authorized to possess marijuana-derived cannabis oil for medical treatment of intractable epilepsy.
However, Deborah Thompson, policy adviser for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said her agency and the state Department of Transportation may not be in a position to actually issue the photo ID registration cards until a later launch date after the rules have taken effect.
DOT officials have been working with a vendor to produce the cards that are part of a new state law that allows very limited access to medical cannabidiol, she said.
State officials are treating the cards as a priority project as they push for a launch date to physically issue the cards.
We just want to make sure that all of the pieces are there, Thompson said. I would like to think well know closer to the date what everything looks like.
It is likely that the health agency will post an application form online in advance of the card issuance so patients and parents of minor patients can submit the pertinent information needed from a licensed neurologist to qualify.
The state-issued registration card would provide an affirmative defense against prosecution to Iowans possessing no more than 32 ounces of the cannabidiol.
Its been a collaborative effort based on wanting to do right by these families, Thompson said of a process that is new to many states that are adopting medical marijuana laws.
All of the states are learning together. We all have different laws, even if we have the same goal, she said.
However, the bigger issue facing families of epileptic patients in Iowa is getting access to a product that is expensive and only available in a limited number of places outside of Iowa due to a host of legal hurdles.
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Cannabis oil ID card rules approved