Bill Doubling Number Of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries In Iowa Advances House Subcommittee

An Iowa House subcommittee unanimously approved a measure on Tuesday that would double the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the state. The bill needs to pass another committee before it reaches the House floor.

House Study Bill 684 proposes doubling the number of dispensary licenses to 10, and also capping the number of dispensaries a license holder could have.

State Rep. John Forbes (D) said that the accessibility of medical marijuana in Iowa is limited. "Patient access to medical cannabis here in the state of Iowa is a concern, especially in certain areas of the state. People have to drive two hours plus. Most people won't do that," Forbes said, writes ABC Kcrg. 

Supporting the measure, Forbes further pointed out that regulators could do more, suggesting expanding the list of medical conditions that qualify patients for treatment with medical cannabis.

See Also: Iowa Lawmakers Risk Ruining Hemp Businesses With New Bill, Business Owner Explains Why

Tim Coonan, a lobbyist representing the Green Leaf Cannabis Company, which currently doesn't have a license but aims to obtain one, commented, "Our thought was that to open it up to more market players, it would be wise to limit the number of licenses being held by one entity to three since that's the max being held right now." 

Jeff Boeyink, a lobbyist representing the Iowa Cannabis Company, which has a license, opposed the limit on the number of licenses to three. " We think that's arbitrary," Boeyink said. "I mean, we should be able to compete. If we make a business decision, we should be able to compete for any license that we want to." 

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