DES MOINES | A small army of never-say-quit parents and children — many in wheelchairs — flooded the Capitol rotunda Friday to watch Gov. Terry Branstad sign a law giving them access to cannabis oil they hope will provide relief for epilepsy symptoms.
Among the witnesses were Cassie and Justin Helland of Mason City and their son, Caleb, 9, who has epilepsy and experiences grand mal seizures.
“It’s certainly a good day,” said Cassie Helland.
Branstad said the bill strikes an appropriate balance of oversight, regulation and empathy in providing narrowly targeted immunity in Iowa for the possession of cannabis oil as a treatment for chronic epilepsy.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, credited the tenacity of the mothers who continued to fight for the bill even after lawmakers said it was dead for the session.
“This was a testament to loving mothers with kids in terrible circumstances and nearly untreatable epilepsy,” Gronstal said. “They became the face of this issue and that’s why this issue passed.
“The truth is Iowa is still a place where ordinary citizens can make an impact on decisions,” he said.
During the legislative debate, opponents expressed concern over the lack of FDA approval and potential long-term effects of cannabis oil use.
Critics also were concerned that lawmakers next session will be asked to expand access for people dealing with cancer of other painful chronic conditions.
The new law applies only to cannabidiol for permanent Iowa residents at least 18 years of age with a written recommendation from a neurologist and registration card for the medical treatment of “intractable” epilepsy. No other medical conditions are eligible.
Many parents who attended the bill-signing ceremony said Friday was a first step because now they face challenges of getting an Iowa neurologist’s recommendation to take cannabis oil as treatment and then they likely will have to travel to places like Colorado, Oregon or Michigan where the product is legally dispensed.
Cassie Helland said she was hoping there would be more to the bill, “but you have to start somewhere.”
Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, said he hopes a legislative interim committee will convene later this year to study how the measure is being implemented and explore the possibility of approving cannabis oil as treatment for other chronic conditions, such as cancer and post traumatic stress disorder.
Also Friday, Branstad signed bills that will lessen the penalties for people who unknowingly expose someone to HIV and will provide additional tax credits for installing wind and solar energy systems.
The HIV bill changes a 1998 law and imposes a 25-year prison sentence only when someone intends to transmit a disease without a partner’s knowledge, making Iowa the first state in the country to repeal and replace its criminal transmission of HIV law.
Until now, Iowa has had one of the harshest HIV transmission laws in the country. Under the 1998 law, persons with HIV could face 25 years in prison and inclusion on the sex offender registry if they could not prove they disclosed their status to a sexual partner — even if no transmission occurred and precautions such as condoms were used.
Under the new law, there is a tiered penalty system, which takes into account whether a person took precautions, whether transmission of HIV actually occurred and whether or not the person intended to transmit HIV.
The new law also adds other infectious diseases to the bill such as hepatitis, tuberculosis and meningococcal disease, which causes meningitis — so the law is no longer HIV-specific.
Finally, it removes the requirement those convicted register as sex offenders, and it will allow people convicted under the old law to be expunged from the registry.
— Globe Gazette reporter Mary Pieper contributed to this report.
Mason City family present as Branstad signs cannabis oil bill
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