Iowa Democrats are taking matters in their own hands are not waiting for the GOP-controlled legislature to make marijuana legal.
According to a Marijuana Moment article, Iowa Democrats have announced a plan to let the voters decide on marijuana legalization.
This week a group of legislators announced that they will soon be introducing a constitutional amendment to let voters decide on the issue of regulating cannabis “in a way similar to the way we regulate the use of alcohol by Iowans over the age of 21.”
Sens. Joe Bolkcom (D), Janet Petersen (D) and Sarah Trone Garriott (D) revealed the plan during a virtual briefing and insisted that a new approach is necessary.
The plan is aiming to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot and in order to do so, a General Assembly will need to pass the proposal twice during two separate sessions.
This means the soonest Iowa voters can weigh in would be during the November 2024 election. The state’s Republican-controlled legislature will also need to get on board with the idea of a referendum on the issue.
Bolkcom told Marijuana Moment in a phone interview that the plan is to pass the measure during the 100-day session that starts next month and then again in 2023.
“So as we thought about how to make progress on marijuana regulation, we thought maybe there would be some interest in putting this before voters,” the senator said.
“You don’t need to decide. You can let the voters decide if you can’t.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Brad Zaun (R) told the Quad-City Times that he has “no intention” of moving any cannabis legalization legislation through his panel.
“Gimmicks like a constitutional amendment on recreational marijuana do a better job of illustrating the lack of ideas Senate Democrats have to solve the problems of Iowans than any response I have,” he said.
Petersen has remarked that “Iowans are ready to join the growing list of states that are regulating marijuana for adult use.”
“Iowans are tired of filling our prisons with nonviolent offenders, traumatizing families with separation and taking away opportunities from far too many young adults for something that is legal in nearly half the states in our country,” the senator added. “It’s time to give Iowans the freedom to vote on something the majority of them support instead of letting a handful of politicians hold Iowans back.”
