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Iowa Lawmakers discuss the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana

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AdvertisementIowa lawmakers discuss the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuanaIowa lawmakers consider legalizing recreational marijuanaIowa lawmakers discuss the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuanaHide TranscriptShow TranscriptCARE WORKERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. STEVE: RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IS ABOUT TO BECOME LEGAL IN 2 STATES THAT BORDER IOWA. SO WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN HERE? STACEY: NEW AT 10:00, KCCI’S LAURA TERRELL LOOKS INTO THE GROWING CALLS FOR IOWA TO LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL POT. LAURA: THE LIST IS GROWING OF ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE IN IOWA WHO SUPPORT LEGALIZI RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA. BUT IT PROABABLY WON’T BE ENOUGH TO CREATE REAL CHANGE ANY TIME SOON. THIS WAS THE LINE ONE YEAR AGO WHEN ILLINOIS STARTED SELLING WEED LEGALLY. PLENTY OF IOWANS DECKED OUT HAWKEYE GEAR CROSSED THE BORDER FOR A CHANCE TO GET THEIR POT HERE AT NATURE’S TREATMENT OF ILLINOIS IN THE QUAD CITIES. &gt;&gt; TIRED OF WAITING FOR IT TO HAPPEN IN IOWA, SO IT IS ONLY TWO HOURS AWAY. LAURA: ONE YEAR LATER, JOHN SQIRES IS STILL WAITING. IOWA HAS NOT LEGALIZED RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA DESPITE 15 OTHER STATES TAKING THE LEAP. BORDERING STATE SOUTH DAKOTA WILL START SELLING WEED ON JULY 1. &gt;&gt; IT IS TIME TO RECOGNIZE THAT MARIJUANA PROHIBITION HAS REALLY BEEN A FAILURE, NOT ONLY IN IOWA, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. LAURA: STATE SENATOR JOE BOLKCOM, A DEMOCRAT FROM IOWA CITY, IS LEADING THE RENEWED CHARGE TO LEGALIZE POT. SO FAR, HE HAS A LIST OF 44 ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO HAVE PLEDGED SUPPORT. &gt;&gt; I THINK PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THAT IT IS CAUSING MORE DAMAGE TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE ARE DOING THEN TO ESSENTIALLY REGULATE MARIJUANA LIKE WE DO REGULATE ALCOHOL. LAURA: BOLKCOM WANTS THE STATE TO REGULATE MARIJUANA JUST LIKE IT DOES ALCOHOL FOR ADULTS 21 AND OLDE ILLINOIS MADE NEARLY $700 MILLION DOING THIS LAST YEAR. BOLKCOM SAYS LEGALIZING WEED IN IOWA WOULD CREATE 4000 TO 5000 JOBS AND $60 MILLION TO $100 MILLION IN REVENUE A YEAR. &gt;&gt; NOT ONLY WOULD TAX REVENUE BE UP, BUT BOLKCOM BELIEVES CRIME WOULD BE DOWN. WITH REGUALTION TAKING WEED OUT OF THE SHADOWS ON THE STREETS. &gt;&gt; I’M NOT INTERESTED IN MAKING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LEGAL IN THE STATE OF IOWA. LAURA: SENATOR BRAD ZAUN, A REPUBLICAN FROM URBANDALE, SAYS REPUBLICANS WILL NEVER SUPPORT LEGALIZING POT. EVEN THOUGH HE ACKNOWLEDGES IOWA IS LOSING OUT ON MILLIONS IN REVENUE ACROSS THE BORDER. STEVE: &gt;&gt; BASED ON REVENUE GENERATION. I MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT I THINK IS RIGHT. LAURA: ZAUN SAYS HE’D RATHER WORK ON EXPANDING IOWA’S INCREDIBLY LIMITED MEDICAL CBD PROGRAM INSTEAD OF LEGALIZING POT. &gt;&gt; I THINK IT IS A TERRIBLE THING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO DO. I RECOGNIZE THAT IS HAPPENING NOW, YES, BUT I THINK IF YOU LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL, THAT IT IS JUST GOING TO OPEN UP THE DOOR AND EXASPERATE THE PROBLEM. LAURA: ONE THING ZAUN AND BOLKCOM DO AGREE ON IS CHANGING STATE LAW TO EXPUNGE SOMEONE’S RECORD OF A MISDEMEANOR MARIJIJUANA POSSESSION CONVICTION. &gt;&gt; THERE ARE SO MANY YOUTH AS WELL AS ADULTS THAT THIS JUST HAUNTS THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE WHEN IT COMES TO SCHOLARSHIPS OR POTENTIAL JOB OPPORTUNITIES OR EVEN HOUSING. &gt;&gt; IT HAS JUST WRECKED TOO MANY LIVES IN THE CREAMER -- IN THE FORM OF A CRIMINAL RECORD THAT SETS THEIR LIVES AND FAMILIES LIVES INTO A DOWNWARD CYCLE OF POVERTY. LAURA: SENATOR BOLKCOM PLANS TO INTRODUCE TWO BILLS IN THE COMING WEEKS, BUT SAYS HE REALIZES THEY WON’T GO FAR BECAUSE OF THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED LEGISLATURE. HIS HOPE IS THAT MORE PUBL OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO TAKE A STAND ON AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN TABOO. LAURA TERRELL, KCCI 8 NEWS, IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. STACEY: IOWA’S MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM STARTED A LITTLE MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO AND LAST YEAR, GOVERNOR REYNOLDS SIGNED A LAW TO EXPAND IT. IT ADDED TO THE LIST OF QUALIFYING CONDITIONS. THE LIST NOW INCLUDES CANCER, CHRONIC PAIN, PARKINSON’S DISEASE, PTSD, SEVERE AUTISM AND HI IT ALSO INCREASES THE MAXIMU AMOUNT OF THC TO 4.5 GRAMS PER 90 DAYS. MEDPHARM IS THE STATE’S ONLY DISTRIBUAdvertisementIowa lawmakers consider legalizing recreational marijuanaIowa lawmakers discuss the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuanaIowa is about to have two neighboring states where recreational marijuana is legal. South Dakota can begin selling marijuana on July 1. It became legal in Illinois on Jan. 1, 2020.There is a renewed push by elected officials in Iowa to legalize pot. State Sen. Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, is leading the charge. He wants Iowa to take the leap 15 other states have to regulate recreational marijuana like alcohol. "It's time to recognize that marijuana prohibition has really been a failure, not only in Iowa but across the country," said Bolkcom. "It's just wrecked too many people's lives in the form of a criminal record that really sets their lives and their family's lives in a downward cycle of poverty."Bolkcom plans to introduce two bills in the coming weeks. The first would regulate marijuana like alcohol modeled after Illinois' bill. He also wants to decriminalize a small amount of marijuana for personal use by adults and allow local governments to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana within city limits. Marijuana possession would become a civil fine.Bolkcom says legalizing recreational marijuana in Iowa would create anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 new jobs and bring in anywhere from 60 to 100 million in state revenue. "The potential here is to create a lot of jobs and new revenue for things like mental health, substance abuse treatment and education funding," said Bolkcom.Bolkcom now has a list of 44 public officials who support legalizing marijuana in Iowa. The list is made up of city council members, county supervisors and state lawmakers. Even with growing support, Bolkcom says he can not get one Republican on board. "I am not interested in making recreational marijuana legal in the state of Iowa. Mostly because of the negative impact it would have on our youth," said Sen. Brad Zaun. Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, says as long as he is Judiciary Committee Chair recreational marijuana will not become legal in Iowa. "There is no doubt that if we legalize this, there is going to be kids looking to get ahold of this," said Zaun. "I think it's a terrible thing for young people. Do I recognize that that is happening now? Yes. But I think if you legalize recreational marijuana then it's just going to open up the door, and it's going to exasperate the problem." Zaun says he would rather focus on expanding Iowa's extremely limited medical cannabidiol program instead of legalizing recreational marijuana. He does acknowledge that many Iowans are crossing the border to spend their money on pot in other states. Illinois made nearly 700 million in its first year."I don't make decisions based on revenue generation. I make decisions based on what I think is right," said Zaun. Bolkcom says he realizes that his bills will go nowhere in the Republican-controlled legislature. One thing he and Zaun do agree on is working to change state law to expunge someone's record of a misdemeanor marijuana possession conviction."There is so many youth, as well as adults, that this just haunts there for the rest of their life when it comes to scholarships or potential job opportunities or even housing," said Zaun.Iowa is about to have two neighboring states where recreational marijuana is legal. South Dakota can begin selling marijuana on July 1. It became legal in Illinois on Jan. 1, 2020.There is a renewed push by elected officials in Iowa to legalize pot. State Sen. Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, is leading the charge. He wants Iowa to take the leap 15 other states have to regulate recreational marijuana like alcohol.Advertisement"It's time to recognize that marijuana prohibition has really been a failure, not only in Iowa but across the country," said Bolkcom. "It's just wrecked too many people's lives in the form of a criminal record that really sets their lives and their family's lives in a downward cycle of poverty."Bolkcom plans to introduce two bills in the coming weeks. The first would regulate marijuana like alcohol modeled after Illinois' bill. He also wants to decriminalize a small amount of marijuana for personal use by adults and allow local governments to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana within city limits. Marijuana possession would become a civil fine.Bolkcom says legalizing recreational marijuana in Iowa would create anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 new jobs and bring in anywhere from 60 to 100 million in state revenue. "The potential here is to create a lot of jobs and new revenue for things like mental health, substance abuse treatment and education funding," said Bolkcom.Bolkcom now has a list of 44 public officials who support legalizing marijuana in Iowa. The list is made up of city council members, county supervisors and state lawmakers. Even with growing support, Bolkcom says he can not get one Republican on board."I am not interested in making recreational marijuana legal in the state of Iowa. Mostly because of the negative impact it would have on our youth," said Sen. Brad Zaun. Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, says as long as he is Judiciary Committee Chair recreational marijuana will not become legal in Iowa. "There is no doubt that if we legalize this, there is going to be kids looking to get ahold of this," said Zaun. "I think it's a terrible thing for young people. Do I recognize that that is happening now? Yes. But I think if you legalize recreational marijuana then it's just going to open up the door, and it's going to exasperate the problem." Zaun says he would rather focus on expanding Iowa's extremely limited medical cannabidiol program instead of legalizing recreational marijuana. He does acknowledge that many Iowans are crossing the border to spend their money on pot in other states. Illinois made nearly 700 million in its first year."I don't make decisions based on revenue generation. I make decisions based on what I think is right," said Zaun. Bolkcom says he realizes that his bills will go nowhere in the Republican-controlled legislature. One thing he and Zaun do agree on is working to change state law to expunge someone's record of a misdemeanor marijuana possession conviction."There is so many youth, as well as adults, that this just haunts there for the rest of their life when it comes to scholarships or potential job opportunities or even housing," said Zaun.Loading more articles...

AdvertisementIowa lawmakers discuss the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuanaIowa lawmakers consider legalizing recreational marijuanaIowa lawmakers discuss the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuanaHide TranscriptShow TranscriptCARE WORKERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. STEVE: RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IS ABOUT TO BECOME LEGAL IN 2 STATES THAT BORDER IOWA. SO WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN HERE? STACEY: NEW AT 10:00, KCCI’S LAURA TERRELL LOOKS INTO THE GROWING CALLS FOR IOWA TO LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL POT. LAURA: THE LIST IS GROWING OF ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE IN IOWA WHO...

Iowa Lawmakers discuss the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana

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