Des Moines, Iowa — Marijuana has been sold for recreational use in Illinois for nearly two years and just this month it became legal to sell, use and possess marijuana in Missouri, but the Republican-led Iowa legislature is unlikely to mimic those moves.
House Speaker Pat Grassley says marijuana legalization just wasn’t a campaign issue.
Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver says under federal law, it’s still illegal to bring marijuana across state lines, and he doesn’t expect any changes in Iowa’s program that licenses growers and the dispensaries which sell cannabis products for a list of specific medical conditions.
In October, Democrats running for seats in the Iowa House called for legalizing marijuana in Iowa. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says it will still be a priority issue for Democrats in 2023.
A Des Moines Register Iowa Poll conducted last March found 54 percent of the adults surveyed were in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Last month, 53 percent of Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana in Missouri.
