A medical marijuana oil program approved by the Iowa
Legislature might not offer much help to patients with qualifying medical
conditions, but advocates say it's at least a step in the right direction.
The measure approved by lawmakers in the final hours
of the legislative session Saturday would expand a little-used program now only
available to people with epilepsy. If signed by Gov. Terry Branstad, the law
would allow the limited production of cannabis oil at two locations in Iowa and
legalize its use for an additional eight conditions.
Despite the expansion, medical
marijuana advocates said the decision to cap the level of the active
ingredient and limit the means of ingestion means the program has limited
value.
Sen. Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, called
the program "the worst in the country."
"For people who were opposed to doing anything, I
suppose they think this is a big deal," he said. "But the fact of the
matter is that they shouldn't have put all the conditions in the bill because
the medicine isn't going to provide a therapeutic benefit for eight of the nine
conditions, and that's sad."
Besides prohibiting smoking, vaporizing or consuming marijuana edibles, the
bill limits the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, allowed in the oil to 3
percent. THC is the compound known for psychoactive effects, and by capping it
at 3 percent advocates said it limits the oil's potential to help conditions
besides seizures.
Some programs, mainly in conservative states, have
caps with even smaller percentages of THC.
Only 38 people have medical cannabis cards under
Iowa's current system, which makes it illegal to manufacture or distribute the
oil. It's unclear how many more would enroll if the new program is signed into
law.
Sunil Kumar Aggarwal, a doctor researching cannabinoid
medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said some
conditions besides seizures could benefit from low-THC oil, but that the benefit
is less certain because of the cap.
"It's an extremely non-scientific regulatory
framework for cannabis," he said. "It's all politics. This is no way
to do medicine."
Rep. Jared Klein, a key supporter of the legislation,
said the program's limitations stem from the hesitation of House Republicans to
legalize any form of marijuana.
"A lot of my caucus said 'We don't feel
comfortable with this issue at all,'" Klein said.
The bill would also create an advisory board to
recommend changes to the cannabis oil program, though Iowa lawmakers would have
the final say.
Klein acknowledged an interest in potentially raising
the THC level above 3 percent if the medical board recommends it.
"A lot of this boils down to a compromise, and
this is not necessarily ... my personal ideal," he said. "I had to
get something I knew we could pass and that I have a high confidence the
Governor will sign."
The conditions covered in the
expanded program include: cancer; multiple sclerosis; seizures; HIV or AIDS;
Crohn's disease; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Parkinson's disease;
untreatable pain; and any terminal illness with a life expectancy of under a
year.
The Marijuana Policy Project, a national lobbying
organization, said 29 states have comprehensive medical marijuana programs,
while 16 offer cannabidiol extract with minimal THC. By the group's standards,
Iowa falls in the second category and is not considered to have a
"workable" medical marijuana program.
"It will certainly be beneficial to those
suffering from seizure disorders, no question," said Maggie
Ellinger-Locke, legislative counsel for the organization. "But the THC cap
will leave most patients behind."
Nonetheless, Iowa Epilepsy Foundation director Roxanne
Cogil praised the overall effort.
"We feel this is a significant step forward to
ensure meaningful access for Iowans," she said. "We do look forward
to continue to working with legislators to help improve the program."
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-04-medical-marijuana-advocates-iowa-limited.html
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