Relating to the medical cannabidiol Act

The bill allows a health care practitioner to certify a patient to receive a medical cannabidiol registration card for any other medical condition for which the health care practitioner determines the use of medical cannabidiol would be medically beneficial, pursuant to rules of the board licensing the health care practitioner, and provide written documentation to that effect to the patient. The bill amends the definition of “medical cannabidiol” to encompass any species of the genus cannabis plant, or any part or mixture thereof, and removes the limitation on tetrahydrocannabinol that medical cannabidiol can contain. The bill amends the definition of “health care practitioner” to allow a licensed physician assistant and a licensed advanced registered nurse practitioner to certify a patient to receive a medical cannabidiol registration card. The bill requires the department of public health to issue a request for proposals and license up to medical cannabidiol dispensaries by April 1, 2020. The bill allows the department of public health to issue a medical cannabidiol registration card to a patient receiving inpatient hospice care in Iowa without complying with any other requirement to receive a medical cannabidiol registration card after producing proof to the department of public health that the patient is receiving hospice care. The bill also removes the restriction on certain felons receiving medical cannabidiol patient registration cards. The bill amends the membership of the medical cannabidiol board by adding three members who are patients with valid medical cannabidiol registration cards. The bill also allows the board to meet up to six times per year. The bill allows medical cannabidiol manufacturers to make deliveries to a patient at the patient’s Iowa residence pursuant to rules of the board. The bill prohibits any licensing board from disciplining a person licensed, certified, or registered by that licensing board relating to a patient’s possession or use of medical cannabidiol pursuant to the medical cannabidiol Act. The bill removes the department of transportation from the process of issuing medical cannabidiol registration cards. The bill provides that any medical cannabidiol registration card issued by the department of transportation prior to July 1, 2019, remains in effect and continues in effect for the 12-month period following its issuance. The bill requires the department of public health to issue medical cannabidiol registration cards. The bill removes the board of medicine from the process for adding conditions to the list of debilitating medical conditions. The bill allows the medical cannabidiol board to make recommendations for new conditions directly to the department of public health.