Cannabis in Iowa

Iowa's medical cannabis program covers extracts and other non-smoked products, not flower, and it caps what a patient can buy. It began as the Medical Cannabidiol Act in 2014 and became operational in 2018. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) registers patients, approves products and licenses dispensaries. Nearly 20,000 Iowans were registered as of mid-2026, according to NORML.

A patient sees a practitioner (an MD or DO, physician assistant, ARNP or podiatrist) who signs a certification form within 60 days of application, then applies online; HHS says it reviews applications within seven days. The card costs $100, or $25 with proof of disability benefits, SSI, Medicaid or veteran status. Fourteen conditions qualify, including cancer, seizures, Crohn's disease, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, AIDS or HIV, ALS, Parkinson's disease, PTSD, terminal illness and autism. Vaporizable, oral, sublingual and topical products are allowed; combustible flower is not. Purchases are capped at 4.5 grams of THC per 90 days, with waivers for terminal patients and for returning patients whose practitioners find the amount insufficient.

Governor Kim Reynolds signed House File 990 in the spring of 2026, doubling the number of licensed dispensaries from five to ten and giving nonresidents a pathway to state-authorized products. Two manufacturers, Bud & Mary's and Iowa Cannabis Company, supply the market.

Cannabis outside the program is illegal. A first offense of simple possession is a misdemeanor with up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine; a second offense carries up to a year and $2,560, and a third is an aggravated misdemeanor with up to two years. Hemp follows a stricter regime since House File 2605 (2024): consumable hemp is limited to 4 mg of THC per serving and 10 mg per package, buyers must be 21, sellers register with HHS, and synthetic cannabinoids including delta-8 and smokable flower are barred.