BOARD OF PHARMACY RECOMMENDS MEDICAL MARIJUANA

DES MOINES -- The Iowa Board of Pharmacy voted Wednesday to recommend
to state lawmakers they reclassify marijuana and set up a task force
to study how to administer a medical marijuana program.

A total of 14 states have so far approved the use of marijuana for
medical purposes, with New Jersey recently joining the list.

The board last year held a series of meetings around the state to
garner public input and medical testimony on the issue.

The board, made up of pharmacists and private citizens, brought up a
number of practical concerns about allowing medical marijuana. Those
concerns included not being able to control dosages and the potential
for abuse, as well as problems distributing it.

But ultimately, they voted 6-0 to recommend the change.

Marijuana currently is classified as a Schedule 1 drug. That
classification is for drugs that have no proven or medical use and a
high potential for abuse and are authorized for research only. The
board is recommending it be reclassified as a Schedule 2 drug, which
means it can have a high potential for abuse but has accepted medical
uses for treatment.

Bills that would have allowed the medical use of marijuana in Iowa
failed to meet an initial deadline to stay alive this session of the
Iowa Legislature, but whether those measures could see a revival in
light of the board's decision were not immediately clear.

House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, has said in the past he didn't
believe support existed among majority Democrats to allow medical
marijuana use in Iowa.