Iowa NORML has a new Executive Director. GRL Law’s own Colin Murphy, long-time member of the NORML Legal Committee, recently assumed the leadership role.
One of the first orders of business will be to recertify the state chapter with NORML.
Murphy has been very active behind the scenes working closely with Carl Olsen, a leading national expert in cannabis advocacy and reform. Together, they have petitioned the Drug Enforcement Administration to grant a federal exemption for the state-authorized use of medical cannabidiol in Iowa. Medical cannabidiol is derived from marijuana containing concentrations of THC greater than 0.3 percent, which is the upper limit for THC in hemp. Although medical cannabidiol is not a controlled substance under state law, both marijuana and THC remain controlled substances at the federal level under Schedule I.
The medical cannabidiol program under Iowa Code chapter 124E incorporates particular features by design that prevent drug diversion, which is one of the main federal concerns over other state programs that permit personal cultivation of cannabis.
If successful, then Iowa would be the first state to obtain this exemption from regulation and prosecution under the federal Controlled Substances Act.
Be on the lookout for more news from Iowa NORML in the near future.
