Iowa Medical Cannabis Program Continues To Rise With $10 Million in Sales

Iowa Cannabidiol Commission By the end of December 2022, the state reported having collected $10.2 million in sales through its five pharmacies. In August alone, State broke her $1 million mark in his month for the first time, and that pattern continued throughout his year. For comparison, in December 2021 sales he reached $587,000.

by Des Moines Register, the number of patients also increased significantly. In December 2021, Iowa’s cardholder count reached 7,800, but by November 2022, he reached 15,000 cardholders. Currently, the state has 51.1% of its patients male, 48.5% female, and 0.4% nonbinary.

Most of Iowa now Inhabited by medical cannabis patients Polk County is also the state capital and has 5,112 patients, followed by Lynn County (833 patients), Black Hawk County (670), Woodbury County (645) and Johnson County (612).

The number of state caregivers, those who assist patients who are “severely ill, immobilized, or otherwise unable to go to the clinic,” has likewise increased. Caregiver cards have also increased, with 2,300 registered caregivers in December 2021 and 3,000 caregivers registered in November 2022.

Chronic pain was the largest patient-enrolled condition, estimated at about 10,000, followed by post-traumatic dress disorder, with about 2,800 cardholders. More than 32,000 medical cannabis cards have been issued since the state’s medical cannabis program launched in November 2018.

of Des Moines Register Also, as of November 2022, 1,920 health professionals (defined as physicians, physician assistants, advanced registered nurses, or podiatrists) will use cannabis to treat at least one condition. reported to have “signed off” 100 patients (300 HCWs as of December 2021).

As for purchased products, 66.4% of them were “vaporized”, followed by capsules/tablets (24.6%), tinctures (6.4%), and topical preparations (2.5%). About 77.9% of patients choose products with high THC, 13.2% prefer his balanced ratio of THC and CBD, and 8.9% choose high CBD.

The majority of patients suffering from conditions such as AIDS/HIV, ALS, Crohn’s disease, stroke, and ulcerative colitis chose high THC products. The only exception is the percentage of people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease (37% prefer his THC/CBD products and 38% prefer high THC products).

Medical cannabis is thriving in Iowa, but efforts to legalize adult-use cannabis have been fruitless. Earlier last year, Iowa advocates of the Wise Cannabis Law campaign launched efforts to legalize cannabis. “Cannabis reform is taking the nation by storm. From ruby-red South Dakota and Montana to eternally blue New York and New Jersey, majority across the political spectrum are voting for reform. , has become a stronger healthcare program,” said Bradley Knott, founder of the campaign. “In other states, voters are going all out on both medical and recreational cannabis. In Iowa, we have no choice. We don’t even have a voice.”

In September 2022, Iowa libertarian gubernatorial candidate Rick Stewart called out Republican candidate Kim Reynolds (later elected governor in November) in opposition to legal cannabis. “What is it, Kim?” Stewart said in the video. “I’m here in Illinois. We’re only a few miles from the Iowa border and they have legal cannabis.”

Standing in front of the bridge that connects Iowa and Illinois, he explained the big differences between the laws of the two states. “If you buy weed on this side of the bridge, you’re buying it from a crook. If you buy weed on the other side of the bridge, you’re buying it from a reputable merchant,” Stewart said.

Iowa’s southern neighbor, Missouri, recently launched an adult cannabis program as early as December 2022.