For the fifth time since joining GRL Law in 2018, Colin Murphy was once again named to the Great Plains Super Lawyers list in 2022, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice. Only 5 percent of attorneys in the region receive this distinction.
Frequent visitors to the GRL Law Blog are no doubt familiar with our approach to defending medical marijuana charges. The drug defense lawyers recently raised this reciprocity defense in two separate cases. The first dealt with raw cannabis flower purchased in another state with a valid medical card. The other concerned edibles. In both cases, the court entered an order granting the defense and dismissing the charge at the state’s cost. We believe these are the first rulings of their kind in the state on the issue of reciprocity. Charged with possession of marijuana for out-of-state medical marijuana? GRL knows […]
Iowa law defines “drug paraphernalia” to include equipment used to inhale a controlled substance. However, the definition excepts those items used in combination with the lawful use of a controlled substance. How should the law treat smoking accessories used to inhale “medical cannabidiol” or the out-of-state equivalent? We put this question to the test recently in a case in North Iowa. The State charged our client with possession of drug paraphernalia for a marijuana pipe found in the passenger compartment of his car. Law enforcement also uncovered cannabis flower, which our client obtained with a valid out-of-state medical card. Medical […]
Frequent readers of our blog are certainly familiar with the firm’s reciprocity argument regarding medical marijuana. Normally, the State concedes this issue and voluntarily dismisses the charge. However, the Iowa State Patrol trooper involved here objected to a dismissal. So, we had the opportunity to finally pitch our argument to the district court. Our client held a valid medical card from Missouri. The cannabis flower seized by the trooper was medical marijuana. The court dismissed the charge and found that Chapter 124E provides reciprocity for out-of-state medical marijuana. Charged with possession of medical marijuana? Call the drug crime lawyers at […]
