Monday was April 20th (4/20), which has become an unofficial holiday for marijuana enthusiasts. Rob Sand, the only Democrat running for governor, chose the date to release more information about how he’d propose to legalize the sale and use of marijuana in Iowa if he’s elected. Sand has been making the case for this move for months, discussing the topic during an appearance on Iowa Press last year.
Sand says only those who are 21 or older should be able to buy marijuana products, however he’d ban public consumption — so he’d ban smoking marijuana in parks, on sidewalks, in moving vehicles or in other public places.
Sand says the state should license businesses to sell cannabis products and a state tax on cannabis would offset the state’s structural budget deficit. Sand says many Iowans are driving across state lines and buying marijuana in neighboring Missouri, Illinois and Minnesota where it’s legal.
Sand would seek limits on THC content — the chemical in marijuana that creates the psychoactive effect and require cannabis product packaging that’s child resistant.
