81% of Iowa Voters Support Medical Marijuana

To the average person unfamiliar with the state of Iowa, it may seem like this medium-sized, Midwestern agricultural hub is as conservative as can be. I certainly had those same preconceived notions about the Hawkeye state before I moved there for college in 2009. But, as I got to know the state and the people, I realized that I, like many other Americans were wrong.

It doesn’t surprise me that in a recent Quinnipiac Poll, 81 percent of Iowa voters said they would support medical marijuana should a patient need it per a doctor’s recommendation.

Perhaps the most disturbing trend when it comes to states choosing whether or not to enact cannabis legislations is the sheer lack of urgency they seem to have.

Governor Terry Brandstad of Iowa has claimed that he is willing to hear about the potential benefits from medical cannabis but he—like many other politicians—fears that this will promote a culture of excess drug use and abuse.

Unfortunately and like the fate of far too many progressive agendas, the lack of haste in adapting new methods for pain treatment and management through the use of cannabis is stuck in the muck of politics. It seems that only when personal crisis hits our elected officials will they choose to enact policies that help the greater good. Until then, we’ll need to wait and see what happens.

Will voters in Iowa make safe access to medical cannabis a hot-button issue in 2016? What do you think? Tell us in the comments below!