PHARMACY BOARD POSTPONES VOTE ON THE MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA

State regulators have delayed a recommendation on allowing
medical-marijuana use because Iowans have swamped them with opinions
on the controversial issue.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy planned to vote this month on whether to
recommend that the Legislature legalize marijuana use for medical
problems. But the board announced Monday that it wouldn't make the
decision until Feb. 17, when it will hold a special meeting in Des
Moines.

Executive Director Lloyd Jessen said board members must read through
12,000 pages of written comments.

"Since the board members are volunteers who have full-time jobs, and
since the marijuana project is in addition to their regular duties as
board members, they need additional time to complete this task," he
said in an e-mail.

The written comments were in addition to the scores of live comments
the board heard this fall in a series of hearings around the state.
Most of those witnesses favored medical marijuana. The written
comments have not been collated yet, Jessen said.

Advocates want Iowa to join 13 other states in allowing patients with
certain chronic problems, such as cancer or multiple sclerosis, to use
marijuana if they receive approval from a doctor or other qualified
medical professional. Opponents see the effort as a back-door way to
legalize marijuana for recreational use.

The Feb. 17 meeting date would give legislators just six weeks to
consider the controversial issue before their scheduled adjournment
March 31. A leading proponent in the Legislature said even without
that time crunch, he doubted lawmakers would approve medical marijuana
this year.

Sen. Joe Bolkcom said he remains optimistic Iowa eventually will
legalize the practice. The Iowa City Democrat sponsored a bill last
year that would have allowed Iowans to obtain and use marijuana for
medical problems if their doctors recommended it. He said he expects
more study and discussion of the issue in the legislative session that
starts next month, but he doesn't expect the bill to be debated on the
Senate or House floors yet.

"I'm pragmatic enough to know this is an issue that has some
controversy to it, and it will take some time for advocates to get
organized and make their case," he said.

One of the most vocal advocates, Carl Olsen of Des Moines, said he's
encouraged that the pharmacy board is considering the issue. Olsen
said he does not expect the board to back full legalization of medical
marijuana. He said the board is more likely to support making it
easier to do research on marijuana's usefulness for patients.

"I don't know how wonderful it will be," he said of the board's
probable proposal. "But it should be better than what we've got now."