Democrats in Iowa to start legalization reforms

Iowa Democratic Party leaders, from city councils to state senators, are calling for marijuana legalization, a change that would bring Hawkeye state's cannabis policy in line with a growing number of its neighbors. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, plans to propose three different reform bills in the coming weeks, according to media reports. "It is time to realize that marijuana prohibition was truly a failure, not just in Iowa but across the country," Bolkcom said. "It has just destroyed too many people's lives in the form of a criminal record that really puts their lives and their families' lives on a downward cycle of poverty." The first of Bolkcom's three bills would tax and regulate cannabis similar to alcohol, in a plan modeled after neighboring Illinois' marijuana legalization offer that went into effect in early 2020. The senator said legalizing recreational cannabis in Iowa could create up to 5,000 new jobs in the state. "The potential here is to create a lot of jobs and new income for things like mental health, substance abuse treatment, and education funding," Bolkcom said. The second bill would decriminalize adult possession of small amounts of marijuana and erase previous criminal convictions for cannabis offenses. Instead of criminal penalties, the measure would introduce civil fines for marijuana possession offenses. The third bill would give local governments the power to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis. Bolkcom has rallied at least 44 officials from across the state, including district overseers, city councils, and state MPs who have come forward as supporters of cannabis reform. So far, only Democrats have agreed to support the effort, which calls into question the success of the bills in the state's GOP-led legislature. One of the Democrats supporting efforts to reform cannabis law in Iowa is Stacey Walker, Linn District Supervisor. She noted that blacks in Iowa are more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana offenses. In addition to Illinois, South Dakota has legalized recreational cannabis, and reforms are picking up speed in neighboring states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. "Over half the states in the Union have some form of legalized cannabis. If we follow this example here in Iowa and legalize marijuana fully, we can make progress on several fronts," Walker said. For Iowa cannabis reform to move forward, Democrats need to get at least some of their Republican counterparts on board. However, success seems unlikely while Republican Senator Brad Zaun chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. "I'm not interested in legalizing recreational marijuana in the state of Iowa, largely because of the negative impact it would have on our youth," Zaun recently told local media. "There's no doubt that if we legalize this, there will be kids looking to get it," added Zaun. "I think it's a terrible thing for young people. Do I acknowledge this is happening now? Yes. But I think if you legalize recreational marijuana, it will just open the door and it will make the problem worse." " Instead, Zaun has said he would consider expanding the state's limited medical cannabidiol program. And the Democrats might be able to find common ground with him when it comes to wiping marijuana convictions. "There \[are\] so many teenagers, as well as adults, that this only haunts \[them\] for the rest of their lives when it comes to scholarships or potential job opportunities or even housing," said Zaun.