Legalizing marijuana is a “no-brainer” move to help ward off a “fiscal time bomb” in Iowa that could otherwise lead to cuts in funding for education and public safety in the state, the Democratic candidate for governor says.

“I think we should treat it the way we treat alcohol. That seems like a no-brainer to me, right?” Rob Sand, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, said at a town hall event in Dallas County on Wednesday in response to a question from a voter who said Iowa is “losing money” to other states that have legalized cannabis.

“Alcohol is a dangerous drug. You shouldn’t abuse it. Also, we’re not going to throw you in prison for having a beer,” Sand said. “Why is it any different for marijuana? It is a dangerous drug. You shouldn’t abuse it. We shouldn’t be throwing people in prison just for using it.”

The Democratic candidate said that “when I say treat it like alcohol, I literally mean treat it like alcohol.”

He then went through a list of common objections to cannabis legalization and explained how he would respond to them.

“So when I hear people say, ‘Well, I don’t want to smell it.’ Same. You shouldn’t be allowed to smoke it in public. Simple rule: you can’t drink alcohol in public, right?

People say, ‘Well, I’m worried about kids. I’ve heard cases in Colorado where they got colorful gummies, and the kids find them, and then the kids get sick.’ I agree. You shouldn’t be able to market it to children. You shouldn’t be able to use colorful designs on your packages. And if you’re doing gummies, they can look like an eraser, right? They don’t need to be red and blue and green and look like gummy bears.

People say, ‘Well, I don’t know, Rob. It’s a lot stronger than the stuff that I was smoking in the 70s.’ To which I say, ‘I wasn’t there. Whatever you say, I believe you.’ I don’t have a basis for comparison then or now. I actually haven’t used it. But how do we handle that with alcohol? When you buy a beer, you can see what the alcohol content is on the beer, right? We treat hard liquor differently, but you can see when you buy hard liquor what the content is on that, and that way you know what you’re getting into. We can do that with marijuana as well.”

Sand, who is currently Iowa’s state auditor, said the state currently has a budget surplus, but that annual spending is overtaking revenue.

“I call this a fiscal time bomb. Our budget is nine and a half billion,” he said. “Imagine the cuts to public education and to public safety if we don’t take action to fix this.”

“So we need to do something now,” he said, arguing that legalizing marijuana is “one of the things that we should do.”

“We would have hundreds of millions of dollars every single year if we just treat marijuana the way we treat alcohol,” Sand said, adding that the thinks the state should also put an income limit on school vouchers and make data centers pay fair taxes.

“All three of those would save us hundreds of millions of dollars a year alone,” he said. “So if we do all three of them, we do them right away, all of a sudden, our time horizon on how long that surplus is going to last gets a lot longer, and we can think about other ways to help address that and get back to having a balanced budget.”

Sand also spoke about his support for legalizing marijuana at an earlier event last month, saying that he thinks cannabis should be legalized and treated like alcohol, even if he thinks it’s “dangerous.”

“Marijuana is a dangerous drug,” he said at the time. “You shouldn’t abuse it, but we also shouldn’t throw people in prison just for using it. We should treat it the way we treat alcohol. Alcohol is a dangerous drug. You shouldn’t abuse it, but we don’t throw you in prison just for having a beer when you get home.”

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate said that Iowa is “spending perfectly good tax dollars to lock people up” for marijuana while people who want to use it are driving across the border to purchase it in other states.

“They’re spending their money in Illinois, or they’re spending it in Missouri. And then they’re driving back without their money,” Sand said. “The money stays there, and the tax dollars stay there.”

Republican gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn reportedly opposes legalizing cannabis but doesn’t appear to have spoken extensively about the issue.

Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee in a U.S. Senate race, said this month that cannabis’s longtime restrictive Schedule I status is “ridiculous.” Marijuana “should be legalized and regulated, and let’s tax it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iowa regulators are circulating proposed rules changes to remove the residency requirement for patients in the state’s medical cannabis program while also ensuring that military veterans qualify for reduced registration fees.

The residency-focused part of the regulatory change from the state Department of Health and Human Services is meant to comply with provisions of a bill that Reynolds signed into law in June.

In addition to allowing out-of-state residents to register in the medical cannabis program if they have a certification from an Iowa healthcare provider legislation, that legislation also doubles the number of medical cannabis dispensaries that are allowed to operate in the state.

Regulators said in the new rule filing that removing the residency requirement is expected to “primarily impact qualified Nebraska residents since Nebraska is the only bordering state that does not currently have an operational medical or adult-use cannabis program.”

“Although Nebraska has taken steps to establish a medical cannabidiol program, implementation has experienced significant delays and setbacks,” the regulatory explanation says.

Beyond the residency change that is part of the bill the governor signed this year, the new rule change also restores regulatory language that was “inadvertently removed during the 2023 Red Tape Review process” that allowed proof of military veteran status to be used to qualify for a reduced patient application fee of $25 instead of the standard $100.

Under prior law, Iowa’s limited medical marijuana program allowed only five dispensaries. That has doubled to 10 under HF 990, which the governor signed.

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The Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board, which oversees the state’s medical marijuana program, recommended in a 2023 report that the state allow more licenses “in an effort to provide Iowans with greater geographical access to medical cannabis products.”

Under the program, patients with certain conditions can obtain cannabis products containing no more than at 4.5 grams of THC every 90 days. Flower and smoking are not allowed. Healthcare practitioners can allow greater amounts of THC for patients who are terminally ill or who have experience with the program and for whom the provider believes 4.5 grams is not enough.

Separately this session, Iowa lawmakers considered a bill to create a state-regulated therapeutic psilocybin program for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Last year, the governor vetoed earlier legislation that would have allowed doctors in the state to immediately prescribe a synthetic form of psilocybin in the event of federal approval of the psychedelic substance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), arguing that it “surrenders state authority to make an informed determination about classification to federal officials.”

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California’s governor has signed a bill to more clearly define the types of marijuana packaging and labeling that is prohibited due to appealing to children.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) gave final approval to the legislation from Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D) on Monday, about two weeks after it passed the Assembly in a vote of 69-1 and cleared the Senate 38-0.

“When voters legalized adult-use cannabis, they also made clear that California must protect children and ensure cannabis products are sold in a tightly regulated marketplace,” the governor said in a press release. “Today we are setting clearer, enforceable standards that protect kids, strengthen accountability, and give responsible businesses the certainty they need to follow the rules.”

As enacted into law, AB 2249 defines “attractive to children” to mean designed or likely to appeal to people under the age of 21.

Indications for that youth appeal include the use of cartoons, depictions of individuals who appear to be under 21, use of mythological creatures like unicorns or dragons or references to celebrities or characters who are primarily associated with children’s entertainment.

It also includes images of consumable goods that are primarily marketed to children—such as candies, cereals, sweets and desserts—as well as the use of lettering styles resembling “overinflated bubbles or balloons” that are typical in products marketed to kids.

“Cannabis and cannabis product packaging and labeling shall not imitate, mimic, or closely resemble the packaging, labeling, trade dress, or overall appearance of a non-cannabis product that is primarily marketed to children,” the legislation says.

While the new law says that “edible cannabis product or vape cartridge labeling shall not include cartoon or overly stylized depictions of fruit,” one provision clarifies that “realistic depictions of fruit used to identify or accurately depict the product ingredients or production region are not prohibited.”

The packaging and labeling restrictions are set to take effect on January 1, 2028 now that the measure has been enacted into law.

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Under the legislation, the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is directed to adopt regulations to “address additional packaging and labeling design elements or product characteristics that pose heightened risk to children.”

DCC will also be required to develop “compliance assessment resources” to help cannabis businesses self-evaluate whether their packaging and labeling at attractive to children.

In June, the department rolled out a new AI tool to help businesses identify marijuana product packaging may appeal to kids in violation of existing state rules, which already ban cartoons on cannabis labels.

Irwin, the bill’s sponsor, previously requested the California State Auditor to conduct an assessment of DCC’s enforcement of existing laws against marketing cannabis products to children.

That audit “confirmed what many have long recognized: California’s cannabis industry continues to package and market products in ways which are overtly attractive to children,” the lawmaker said.

“Since the passage of Proposition 64, child cannabis poisonings have increased dramatically. These exposures are often driven by cannabis product packaging that uses features which are explicitly attractive to children, leading children to consume the products unintentionally,” Irwin said. “Young children who accidentally consumer cannabis require poison control treatment consistently, and in many cases they can also expose their fellow elementary and middle school peers to cannabis.”

The California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), for its part, opposed the bill.

“AB 2249 would impose significant costs on the licensed businesses that already keep cannabis away from children, undermine the state’s efforts to bring consumers into the regulated market, and does not address safe at-home storage practices,” the trade association said.

The measure was amended by the Senate after initially clearing the Assembly, including by delaying its effective date, narrowing the definition of “attractive to children” and removing some requirements for regulators.

Meanwhile, lawmakers this session have also advanced legislation to allow marijuana retailers to offer drive-thru windows to serve customers.

California’s treasurer recently said the marijuana legalization law that voters approved a decade ago has been a “complete failure” and should be replaced with a new ballot initiative that prioritizes consumers and small businesses.

The vice chair of the state Senate Budget Committee has floated the idea of putting a new initiative on the state ballot to “reverse” Proposition 64, for example, arguing that voters were misled and voicing concerns about the health impacts of marijuana use.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, recently told Marijuana Moment that taxes and regulations on cannabis are “too high.”

DCC recently released data showing how 97 percent of state cannabis enforcement actions in unincorporated cities have happened in counties that have locally banned licensed growers from operating.

California regulators also recently adopted emergency rules changes for the state’s marijuana licensing process that are intended to make it easier for businesses to qualify for benefits in line with the Trump administration’s recent move to federally reschedule medical cannabis.

Newsom recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis.

Last October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.”

Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics.

Last September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products.

Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently engage in marijuana commerce with licensed cannabis businesses without first obtaining their own commercial license from state officials.

California officials recently awarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.

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The governor of Kentucky says that the state’s efforts to get medical cannabis dispensaries open is now past the “halfway mark” to becoming “fully operational.”

Gov. Andy Beshear (D) noted at a press briefing on Thursday that he recently attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for a medical marijuana cultivation business, saying it is “just the latest example of how we’ve kept our promise to Kentuckians” to provide legal access to patients in need.

The governor, who signed medical cannabis legalization legislation in 2023 that took effect at the beginning of last year, said he is “proud” that the state is “moving forward in every step of the process.”

“So far, more than 25,209 Kentuckians have been approved for medical cannabis cards,” he said. “We now have over 490 practitioners registered to issue certifications. And we have 41 businesses up and running. That includes 11 cultivators, two safety compliance facilities, five processors and 23 dispensaries. Those numbers will continue to grow.”

The increasing access to medical marijuana means that “more Kentuckians won’t have to turn to addictive opioids” and will be able to “deal with chronic conditions, will get the relief they deserve, will be able to to address the PTSD that they may have gotten while serving our country.”

With the Blue Sage Dispensary planning to open in Lebanon on Friday, Beshear said, the state will be “over the halfway mark of Kentucky becoming fully operational when it comes to dispensaries.”

“Medical cannabis is helping our people in need live fuller lives with less pain,” the governor said. “It is a win-win.”

Beshear signed an executive order in June to broaden the list of health conditions that make patients eligible to legally obtain medical cannabis.

But days later, House Majority Whip Jason Nemes (R) asked Attorney General Russell Coleman (R) to ensure that state agencies “not cooperate” with the governor’s marijuana directive, which he called “unlawful.”

“Any organization, any licensee, that participates in this unlawful expansion should be prosecuted,” Nemes said during a legislative committee hearing. “This is not the way forward.”

The governor pushed back, however, saying that the GOP lawmaker exhibited a “complete lack of humanity.”

“It’s helping a lot of people, and I was really surprised to see an attack from one lawmaker who called on the attorney general to prosecute people dying of a terminal illness for securing medical cannabis,” Beshear said. “I mean, that’s a complete lack of humanity. It is really low. I mean, an individual with ALS, you want to prosecute? That is certainly not leadership, and even for that individual, is a new record low.”

After the legislature declined to take him up on a suggestion to expand the qualifying condition list this session, the governor used his authority to make it so patients with 15 additional health disorders—including Parkinson’s disease, HIV/AIDS, sickle cell anemia, fibromyalgia, arthritis and glaucoma—can also be certified for medical marijuana access.

Beshear also rescinded an earlier executive order he issued in 2022 through which he offered to provide pardons for any patients who got into trouble for possessing medical cannabis that they purchased at a legal dispensary in a neighboring state.

The more recent executive order on qualifying conditions is a follow up to a medical marijuana legalization law Beshear signed in 2023. The state’s first medical cannabis dispensary opened in December of last year.

The governor in February announced that cannabis gummies are available for purchase in the state’s licensed dispensaries.

Beshear in January said he’s “not satisfied” with the time it’s taken to launch the state’s medical marijuana program—but that he anticipates the pace of patient access would “pick up significantly” in 2026.

In recognition of the delayed implementation, he signed an executive order to waive renewal fees for patients who get their cards so that they don’t get charged again before retailers open.

Beshear separately announced last year that the state had launched a new online directory that lets people see where medical cannabis dispensaries will be opening near them.

He emphasized that the state has been working to deliver access to patients “at the earliest possible date,” and that involved expediting the licensing process. Last year, the governor also ceremonially awarded the commonwealth’s first medical marijuana cards.

During the November 2024 election, Kentucky also saw more than 100 cities and counties approve local ordinances to allow medical cannabis businesses in their jurisdictions. The governor said the election results demonstrate that “the jury is no longer out” on the issue that is clearly supported by voters across partisan and geographical lines.

Meanwhile, legislature’s Interim Joint Committee on Health Services held a hearing last month on a proposal to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in hospitals.

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The Democrat and Libertarian candidates in Ohio’s governor’s race have indicated that, if elected, they would keep the state’s voter-approved adult-use cannabis law intact, Cleveland.com reports. Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee, and Don Kissick, the Libertarian, both said they would keep the reforms in place, including the 10% cannabis tax, and backed maintaining some form of legal access to intoxicating hemp products. The Republican nominee, Vivek Ramaswamy, did not respond to the questionnaire from the news outlets regarding his policy positions on the cannabis and hemp laws. 

Addie Bullock, Acton’s campaign spokeswoman, in a statement told Cleveland.com that the Democrat would “respect the clear will of the voters and ensure that Ohio adults 21 and older can safely make their own decisions” and would be “vigilant about legislative attempts to recriminalize elements of recreational marijuana use that Ohioans voted for on Issue 2.”  

Kissick told Cleveland.com that “Ohio voters made their decision in 2023, and the government should respect that decision rather than repeatedly searching for ways to override it.” He added that he would seek to change state law to allow cannabis impaired driving convictions only if prosecutors prove drivers were actually impaired, rather than allowing convictions based solely on THC levels in blood or urine tests. The Libertarian indicated he would also consider lowering the 10% tax “once the state’s legitimate administrative and regulatory costs are covered.” 

Kissick also said he backed an age limit of 21 for intoxicating hemp products, marketing rules for the products, and “reasonable serving and package limits.” 

While Ramaswamy did not respond to the questionnaire, in a 2023 statement to FOX News, Ramaswamy indicated support for ending the federal prohibition of cannabis; however, he also voted against adult-use legalization in Ohio, saying on CNN that it was “an abandonment of the rule of law” and “creates a lot of confusion.”  

According to the Cook Political Report, the race is a toss-up between Acton and Ramaswamy. 

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Virginia’s governor has signed bills to allow patients to use medical marijuana in hospitals and protect the parental rights of cannabis consumers.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) on Monday also also recommended that lawmakers adopt amendments to legislation that is aimed at providing resentencing relief to people with prior marijuana convictions.

Meanwhile, advocates are awaiting her action on separate bills to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana sales in the state ahead of a midnight deadline.

Here’s a look at the cannabis legislation that Spanberger has already acted on:

Protect Marijuana Consumers’ Parental Rights

The governor signed a bill to protect the rights of parents who use marijuana in compliance with state law.

HB 942 from De; Nadarius E. Clark (D) states that a “person’s legal possession or consumption of substances…alone shall not serve as a basis to restrict custody or visitation unless other facts establish that such possession or consumption is not in the best interest of the child.”

The new law also specifies that a parent or legal guardian can’t be construed to have failed a drug test over legal substances such as cannabis.

The legislation is consistent with a measure Clark sponsored last session that advanced through the legislature, only to be vetoed by then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).

“This is a significant victory for Virginia parents who consume cannabis responsibly,” JM Pedini, development director for the advocacy group NORML and executive director for Virginia NORML, told Marijuana Moment. “It’s taken seven legislative sessions to secure these most basic protections and prevent courts from needlessly separating children from their families.”

Allow Patients To Use Medical Cannabis In Hospitals

Spanberger additionally signed legislation to let patients use medical marijuana in hospitals.

SB 332 from Sen. Barbara Favola (D) and HB 75 from Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra (D) build upon existing state law protecting health professionals at hospices, nursing homes and assisted living facilities that aid terminally ill patients in utilizing medical cannabis treatment from punishment by adding hospitals to the statute.

The new law also creates a working group under the Department of Health to “discuss the implementation process for providing cannabis products to patients within medical care facilities.”

“The work group shall assess any available federal guidance or proposed regulations on the use of cannabis products or changes to the schedule for cannabis products under the federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 801 et seq.) as well as interaction with applicable state laws,” the legislation says.

Its members will include representatives of the Virginia Hospital & Health Care Association and the Virginia Health Care Association, as well as health care providers and palliative, hospice, and hospital volunteers familiar with issues associated with providing care to individuals experiencing chronic illness.

The measure directs the working group to submit a report to key legislative committees including “written guidelines for the use of medical cannabis within medical care facilities and the safe operations of medical care facilities” by November 1.

Meanwhile, the governor also proposed that lawmakers amend legislation to provide resentencing relief for prior cannabis convictions:

Provide Resentencing Relief For Prior Cannabis Convictions

Lawmakers sent Spanberger bills to allow people who have certain marijuana convictions on their records to receive resentencing relief, but she wants them to make changes.

As approved by lawmakers, SB 62 from Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas (D) and HB 26 from Rozia Henson, Jr. (D) would create a process by which people who are incarcerated or on community supervision for certain felony offenses involving the possession, manufacture, selling or distribution of marijuana could receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of their sentences.

The relief would apply to people whose convictions or adjudications are for conduct that occurred prior to July 1, 2021, when a state law legalizing personal possession and home cultivation of marijuana went into effect.

Under the governor’s proposed amendments, affected persons would have to proactively file petitions to get the relief instead of having the courts proceeding automatically. Spanberger’s suggestion also removes deadlines for court hearings on resentencing relief.

Similar legislation was approved by lawmakers last session but it was vetoed by Youngkin, the former governor.

Lawmakers are set to reconvene to address the governor’s proposals on this and other bills on April 22.

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Oregon’s governor has signed a bill to allow patients with debilitating medical conditions to access medical marijuana in certain health facilities such as hospices.

Gov. Tina Kotek (D) approved the legislation from Rep. Farrah Chaichi (D) on Tuesday after it cleared the Senate in a 20-8 vote last month and was passed by the House of Representatives in a 39-3 vote in February.

Chaichi said in testimony to the Senate Health Care Committee that the bill is “an important tool to facilitate cannabis use as an alternative or addition to opioid use in end of life care.”

“While sometimes necessary, opiates are often overly sedative, preventing quality family interaction in someone’s final days,” she said. “As someone who lost my mother while she was intubated, I know how meaningful it is for patients to be present and in the moments of their last days and weeks with their loved ones. This is a quality of life and a quality of care issue. The bill’s goal is to ensure patients who desire this important and valid medical treatment have access across the board.”

As enacted, HB 4142 will require hospice, palliative and home care organizations, as well as residential facilities, to develop rules permitting registered patients with debilitating conditions to use medical cannabis.

The reform is similar to—albeit somewhat more limited than—multiple “Ryan’s law” measures that have advanced in state legislatures across the country. Ryan’s law, which is named after a young cannabis patient in California who passed away, generally refers to a policy broadly permitting medical marijuana use in health facilities such as hospitals.

The Oregon bill doesn’t extend to hospitals, but it builds upon the state’s medical cannabis program in a way that advocates say will meaningfully improve quality of life for seriously ill patients.

Under the proposal, the Oregon State Board of Nursing will further be prohibited “from disciplining a nurse who discusses the medical use of marijuana with a patient,” according to a legislative summary. It will additionally make it so eligible health facilities can act as medical marijuana caregivers if authorized by regulators.

The legislation “exempts residential facilities that provide a patient with medical marijuana from criminal laws related to the possession, delivery, or manufacture of marijuana” and “allows a conditionally designated residential facility to develop a written policy and train staff before the operative date,” the summary says.

Now that the governor has signed the measure, it is set to become operative on January 1, 2027.

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