Second Funnel is Next Friday; House Passes Employer Protections for Marijuana Usage

March 12, 2020

The Iowa Legislature has completed week 9 of the 2020 legislative session. With that being said, the second self-imposed legislative deadline for the session is next week. A bill, with some exceptions, must have passed through one full chamber and out of a full committee in the other chamber to be considered eligible for the rest of the year. A number of key bills were debated this week, and one of those bills was HF2589. The bill expands the medical cannabidiol program by eliminating the THC cap, adding conditions for which one may use medical cannabidiol, allowing health care practitioners to prescribe a medical cannabidiol care and allows a patient to have 4.5 grams of THC over a 90-day period with some exceptions. The bill also includes strong employer protections for marijuana usage in the workplace. These added protections ensure that companies may maintain drug-free workplaces. This is something ABI worked hard and educated legislators as to why it was necessary to include in the bill. The House passed the bill late Wednesday night 52-48. It now heads to the Senate.