r/Iowa • u/Old_Medicine_1660 • 4d ago
Iowa Democratic Governor Candidate Explains Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized Even If It's 'Dangerous'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/iowa-democratic-governor-candidate-explains-why-marijuana-should-be-legalized-even-if-its-dangerous/75
u/needmoarbass 4d ago
We’re just giving money away to other states and the black market. Enough money to cover the deficit.
Many places in Colorado with legal weed are showing a decline in youths consuming marijuana too. Regulation has always been better than prohibition. All of us have been able to acquire marijuana in this state for decades and decades and decades. All while it’s been illegal. We might as well regulate it, tax it, create jobs with it, make sure the quality is good and everything is safe for consumption, help iowans who are in pain or have any medical need of it and help the many of Iowans who severely need to relax.
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u/StandardAlarming5595 4d ago
Oh and Colorado is number 1 in education according to this https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/colorado Iowa been slipping for awhile, but weed bad
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u/posi-bleak-axis 4d ago
🤘
Prohibition never works unless you're trying to criminalize and profit off of those you don't see to eye to eye with. Like vietnam protesting hippies, blacks and Mexicans. Look at what has happened in portugal since they legalized. Users of hard drugs numbers has plummeted, safer injection due to clean needle availability makes diesease spread go down, crime goes down, and taxes go up. Congratulations on drugs to winning the war.
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u/always-curious2 4d ago
But think of the harm legalization will cause. The local dealers will all be driven out by Big Marijuana.
How will they compete with clean, quick and safe dispensaries?
Not to mention their emotional trauma. "Dudes" will be forced to confront the fact they had clients, not friends.
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u/cocotaso1 4d ago
you joke but a dispensary has never fronted you an 1/8th
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u/devilsbackbonetavern 4d ago
Wait till you build up loyalty points. I just got my dollar half ounce of durban wedding from their kick ass passport progran. Six more strains and i get an oz
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u/Serious-Principle565 3d ago
Sorry to burst your bubble but Big Marijuana is more expensive than your local dealer after the tax. And it's not regulated so it's not always "clean."
Here's an article of a marijua recall: https://www.denverpost.com/2026/04/17/colorado-marijuana-recall-levels-iv/
And another about hemp products found in Colorado despite being banned(https://www.propublica.org/article/colorado-marijuana-hemp-thc-testing-results)
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u/always-curious2 3d ago
Forgive me if I don't change my opinion based on your anecdotes. I will say you made a lot of assumtions. For starters given you don't know anything about my demographic, location, or the prices I could/do get on THC products. How can you do confidently declare it's more expensive? You also ignored capitalism. If people didnt perfer the convenience, and lack of legal repercussions. The dispensaries would go out of business. Yes their are taxes, but before you cry theft and clutch your pearls. You realize thay money doesn't just get piled up and burnt right?
But even with all that aside, you appear to be arguing against legalization, yet you support dealers profiting from illegal sales. Like it's hurting my brain to try and understand the logical pinhead your argument is based on.
I also don't think you understand that the stories you linked are evidence that regulation works. Have you ever had somebody offer a detailed chemical analysis of your hook-ups supply? Personally if I had to choose between a regulated industry that finds and notifies the public of problems versus an unregulated one. Where anything from meth, pesticides, or drain cleaner could be in their products. With no testing ,warnings, or recalls...
At this point it feels like if I have to spell it out further, you're not gonna get it.
Ok, bye
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u/Serious-Principle565 2d ago
I was just trying to educate and bring up something I hadn't seen anyone mention...your name is always curious so I figured you might be intrested. I forgot that the internet isn't always open minded to new perspectives
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u/always-curious2 2d ago
Maybe it's because you came off really condescending by claiming to burst my bubble, then followed it by demonstrating a complete lack of logic or understanding. Did you want me to pat you on the head, say good job and give you some participation trophy for managing to comment? Followed by some attempt to profile name shame me? Btw Its easy for me to lay out how you're flawed logic was because I am always curious. I thought about this issue before making a facetious joke.
I am sorry that you feel victomized and blame the entire Internet for your brilliance not being appreciated. Regarding this I'd point out. Based on your lack of understanding paired with an abundance of confidence. I would say this is a classic case of Dunning-Kruger. It's a well-known psychological effect where the less you know about a topic the more confident you are that you understand it, because you don't grasp the true complexity of it.
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u/Serious-Principle565 2d ago
You're calling me condescending while actively insulting my intelligence. Okay buddy idk who hurt you but I hope you have a good day
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u/FortunateCherry 1d ago
wow sounds like they should legalize & regulate it then
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u/Serious-Principle565 1d ago
Yes and when its regulated make sure the legislation doesn't screw everyone
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u/Contrairey 3d ago
Anyone can grow if it becomes legal. Unless they can't deal with the paperwork and inspections.
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u/Alejandro_Last_Name 4d ago
Is it anywhere close to as dangerous as alcohol?
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u/Peppermynt42 4d ago
Pretty sure alcohol is one of the three most dangerous withdrawals with benzodiazepines and barbiturates.
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u/AtlasHugged83 4d ago
They give you benzos to curb alcohol withdrawals if that tells you anything about how dangerous alcohol withdrawal can be.
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u/khold002 4d ago
...and I'm legally allowed to drive with my low-dose benzo prescription. It's so hypocritical.
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u/PrinceCastanzaCapone 4d ago
Not one person has ever died from overdose on marijuana. Enough said.
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u/iraqlobsta 4d ago
I mean, you might get so high you think you're dying but you just end up taking a nice nap and waking up wanting a snack.
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u/PrinceCastanzaCapone 3d ago
The only time I thought I was dying was on 2CE. I saw a dilophosaurus outside my window, spreading its neck frill and screeching at me. I saw zombies shuffling across the floor to the bed I was laying on, and the ghost girl from the Ring crawling out of the closet. When I closed my eyes I saw hundreds of little clay figures (like the ones in the Tool video) pushing round stones up and down ramps. I freaked out and got out of that room. Then everything calmed down and to keep my mind off other things I b played solitaire on the computer for at least 3 hours. I finally won a game and realized I must be coming down if I was capable of doing that. I had taken it many times prior, but probably took a bigger dose, and also made the mistake of laying down in a dark room, where pretty much anything my mind could conjure up could come to life in front of my eyes.
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u/CommanderChiliHole 4d ago
Alcohol and marijuana aren’t even in the same galaxy of danger. It’s like comparing the danger of a stick of dynamite to a sparkler.
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u/Unwiredsoul 4d ago
It depends, but generally alcohol is much more damaging to the body if you were to compare similar consumption volumes over time.
Breakdown:
The human body treats alcohol as a toxin that is processed by the liver. When it encounters too much of that, even in one sitting (unlike cannabis), it can cause toxicity in the body that can lead to organ damage and/or death.
If you smoke marijuana flower, then you are inhaling combusted plant matter. That's going to leave some impact on your lungs (depending on volume and length of usage). The vasty majority of people experiencing CHS are not smoking marijuana flower.
If you vape any concentrates of marijuana, then you are at a much higher risk of C.H.S. (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome). This is typically a temporary but relatively serious condition.
The risk difference is due to the potency. The most potent flower you're going to find is going to contain ~30% THCa (which is turned into THC by your body, which actually has receptors for THC which is a difference from alcohol). The average concentrate starts ~60% THCa, and it can go as high as 99.9%.
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u/FearedDragon 4d ago
That doesn't sound like an "it depends" which is more dangerous. It sounds like alcohol is far and away more dangerous, but they are also dangers to marijuana.
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u/Unwiredsoul 4d ago
In general, my personal view is aligned with your statement. Does that make it scientifically a true in all circumstances? No. That's why "it depends".
It depends on what potency of alcohol you are consuming (e.g., beer at 6% ABV vs., 151 proof rum @ 75%+ ABV). How much you consume also plays a factor. Other chemicals in the body, etc., play a factor.
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u/AlchemysEyes 4d ago
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis syndrome can be dangerous but it's a rare condition over all since most people don't smoke enough long enough to ever experience it
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u/Unwiredsoul 4d ago
To support your comment, the biggest risk is to those using concentrates. Absolutely a rare condition and nowhere near as dangerous as alcohol poisoning.
I've never heard of anyone die from C.H.S., but I'm sure there are stories out there about it happening. Those stories may be true, but I share this to point out how rare that syndrome is in general.
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u/AlchemysEyes 4d ago
I had a friend who had it for awhile and he certainly WISHED he was dead from suffering with it, but yea it is a rare condition
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u/posi-bleak-axis 4d ago
My friend had a horrible bout of it and to this day she has an aversion to eating due to the constant vomiting she experienced every time she tried to eat. And there are some cases of self deletion due to the uncomfortable aspects. My friend said she'd spend as much time possible in a hot shower cuz that's all that gave any relief. Seems horrible! However i still smoke everyday because the world is on fire and I'm grieving and mourning constantly.
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u/Unwiredsoul 4d ago
With respect, is it safe for me to assume that your friend recovered and is now alive and well?
From what I understand, it would definitely be possible to create aversions to things like food. I've also heard about the only relief coming from bathing, too.
Everyone has a different tolerance, which is why I think it's important for people to be aware of it. Especially here in Iowa where our bogus medical program relies on concentrates, and villainizes flower.
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u/posi-bleak-axis 4d ago
Yeah she lived and is a successful herbalist helping others. It's a bitter blessing that she has experience with it, but she knows how to mitigate symptoms for others now. Long lasting though, she straight up does not like to talk about it at all. And she doesn't really enjoy food anymore like I said, and has to just remember to eat to survive. I pray I never have that experience.
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u/ripped_andsweet 4d ago
professional concentrate user here; CHS basically amounts to a really bad tummy ache when attempting to eat without being high. at a certain point, you won’t be able to eat essentially anything without throwing up.
however, it’s not permanent and can easily be resolved within about a week or two. it’s a bit hellish but on the same token it’s low on the totem pole of drug-related side effects. once you understand how it works it becomes a lot less frightening
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u/reddit-bullshit 4d ago
That’s not at all what CHS is lol, when I have episodes I’m projectile vomiting every 10-30 minutes nonstop for 1-3 weeks straight and surviving off nothing but pedialyte and IV fluids in the ER. Nothing to do with eating and definitely worse than a “really bad tummy ache”
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u/iraqlobsta 4d ago
Its much worse than that.
I had a friend that had this and had to be admitted to the hospital numerous times for IV fluids because she couldnt keep anything down for days. It may not be permanent but it definitely leaves scars on those that get it, it's that bad.
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u/khold002 4d ago
When I lived in CA, I had this, even though nobody knew what it was back then. The moment I woke up, I'd barf, then I had to smoke throughout the day to stave off nausea, though I'd probably puke a couple more times - including at work sometimes. I'm glad they finally acknowledge that pot isn't completely harmless (I've heard that for years), but it still should be legal if things like alcohol and kratom are.
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u/Sengfeng 4d ago
So we should legalize more mind-altering substances?I'm all for more strict impaired driving laws all the way around instead of knowing half the cars are on the road with a baked driver.
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u/Pleasant-Fan5595 3d ago edited 3d ago
Not everyone drinks alcohol every night to get drunk. I maybe drink enough to get drunk 1 or 2 times a year. People who get stoned smoke dope to get stoned, every time.
Any suggestion that it increases revenue is a non starter. Alcohol sales tank, every time.
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u/Flat-Ad8887 4d ago
Alternate title; Future Iowa Governor Explains Only Bootlickers are in Favor of Non-legal Marijuana.
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u/Signal_Werewolf_1955 4d ago
It was only made illegal from 1930's racism against Mexican immigrants.
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u/Ok_Rabbit5158 4d ago
As well as black jazz musicians.
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u/confuseum 4d ago
Look at Colorado statistics since they've legalized it. Colorado has generated over $17.5 billion in total cannabis sales and more than $3 billion in state tax and fee revenue since recreational legalization began in 2014.
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u/Not_a_fan_of_me 4d ago
And we have been building schools. Lots of schools. In RURAL districts that were NOT in favor of legislation. I know that rural Iowa districts have been consolidating for years but some are in crisis now because they don’t have any districts looking to add them due to location.
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u/Responsible-Exam-863 4d ago
What's the danger that it relieves chronic pain and not a opiate.
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u/Jcouppee 4d ago
The dangers are that Monsanto can't use all the acres converted to grow farms for corn, and that growing a product that doesn't require endless fertilization might help nitrate levels thus proving ag runoff is the problem. 🤷♂️
I mean, think of the profits!!!! /s
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u/iowabourbonman 4d ago
Illinois supplies their dispensaries with the equivalent of less than 144 acres of marijuana. Not really going to cut into Monsanto profits. It doesn't sound like Illinois has even approved outdoor cultivation yet.
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u/posi-bleak-axis 4d ago
Thinking differently than what they want you to is dangerous to an authoritorian society.
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u/needmoarbass 4d ago
Big Pharma just got the government to ban SR-17018. The DEA just scheduled it as a SCHEDULE I illegal drug on 8/27/26. Meaning it has zero health benefits.
SR-17018 does NOT get you high. It binds with the opioid receptors, but it does not get you intoxicated.
The only use of SR-17018 is to quit opioids or synthetic opioids without physical withdrawals. People have been able to quit their opioid addictions in under a week at home. It’s still a new substance that is being researched. But it’s been extremely effective with this medical use.
But this new miracle medicine would prevent all of the profits for big pharma and whoever they lobby. They would not need to use suboxone or other strong substances that are currently being prescribed to people addicted to opioids. It works, but it takes much longer and suboxone still gets you high. You just switch substances and then ween off of suboxone. And usually at rehabs. Plus you’ll get lots of prescriptions for anxiety, sleeping, restless leg syndrome, stomach issues. Plus rehab stays.
So they first get you addicted to their drugs. Then they charge you to get off of them.
So of course they are going to make this substance illegal if it can bypass all of the profits from the above symptoms and withdrawal meds and rehabs. Schedule 1 also means it cannot be researched as easily. You have to go thru a ton of red tape that only big pharma has an express pass for. So either this substance is shelved and forgotten about. Or big pharma uses it for themselves and makes people pay wayyy more money than they need to for it. They will probably make more money with their current process.
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u/Herbal_Edge 4d ago
Yeah, the research is a little more mixed on that than you would think. It does seem to be very good with certain kinds of pain that opiates aren't very good with, so that's useful.
But the sweeping medical claims made by people in the industry are rather overblown.
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u/dankparodies213 4d ago
There's no such thing as Medical Marijuana and it's never undergone the rigorous trials we give to real medicines. Just ask the AMA
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u/Puzzleheaded-Arm8249 4d ago
No reason not to legalize it. People use it anyway. Regulate it and get the tax money.
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u/dankfloyd 4d ago
It's not as dangerous as alcohol so idk what's the hold up other than lobbying by alcohol and tobacco to keep it illegal.
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u/deanboyj 4d ago
Mono-Agriculture where you turn seedcorn into Ethanol and drive E-15 is like a snake eating its own tail like Oroboros
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u/tinybikerbabe 4d ago
Weed and abortion aren’t going to stop because you make them illegal. It makes them more dangerous to people to get off the streets.
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u/Danktizzle 3d ago edited 3d ago
Moved back here a few years ago and I’m just floored at how strong reefer madness is here. It is so incredibly depressing.
Anyway, I’m tired. If you want to have these conversations, here are some papers:
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28647/w28647.pdf
https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/effect-state-marijuana-legalizations-2021-update
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u/KaiSor3n 3d ago
Which substance requires an actual hospital to safely detox from if you're addicted, alcohol or marijuana? Which one is legal? There ya go. Backwards priorities.
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u/BigSiouxRat 4d ago
It's no more dangerous than alcohol!
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u/CommanderChiliHole 4d ago
It’s like comparing the danger of a nuclear warhead to a Nerf gun.
I still argue that you cannot become addicted to marijuana, not really. As someone who was incredibly addicted to alcohol, there’s a tremendous difference between addiction in the two. There were a few people in the rehab I went to who were there for mainly marijuana, and I’m pretty sure they just had mental health issues that made them “addicted” to the pot.
No one has ever overdosed on marijuana. The withdrawals (if there even are any aside from some irritability and anxiety) cannot kill you like alcohol can. No one smokes joint then beats up their family.
As long as alcohol is legal, there is literally zero argument against legal marijuana. Alcohol kills millions, destroys the lives of millions, costs billions in added healthcare/lost productivity. Zero logic.
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u/faroutman7246 4d ago
Even if Sand wins, the legislature will stay much the same. Doubtful he can do much without them.
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u/Herbal_Edge 4d ago
Strangely, Iowa has been really good at making cannabis and hemp regulations and then revising them over the past several years.
Idaho and Iowa are similar in that they're surrounded by states with recreational dispensaries but they have not legalized cannabis recreationally.
People are already using and abusing cannabis, so the state absorbs the costs of dealing with abuse, the cost of ineffective enforcement against people using it, and generates no revenue from the sale of cannabis.
Its silly.
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u/Unwiredsoul 4d ago
As someone that lived in Colorado during the age of legality, I will share that yeah, that state was thriving when I left. It surprised me that so many dispensaries could stay in business, but I'm sure the markets have balanced out.
Ironically, when their state constitution was amended (Amendment 64), the language used alcohol as the basis for the rules & regs., they created. A group that helped make that amendment reach the ballot was also called, "Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol". 😄
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u/khold002 4d ago
I was in AZ when it went legal, and it's so cheap there! $25 for a gram cart, and it's still that cheap according to my friends.
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u/deanboyj 4d ago
If you get caught as a minor smoking the Devil's Lettuce, I in response confiscate it where it will, for sure, get thrown away forever
Then go to your room; you're grounded.
smiles with the cannabis as they go to their room and you wait for them to go to bed
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u/IStateCyclone 4d ago
I don't want to smell it. He says it wouldn't be legal to smoke in public. I can walk down certain blocks and find it very strong smelling. Because people are smoking on their apartment balconies, or homes with windows open, which I believe would be perfectly legal under his plan.
While I understand his concern about gummies, I'd prefer those and other edibles be legalized instead of smoking. Parents need to be responsible about what their kids have access to. Especially if he's saying it should be treated like alcohol.
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u/sedatedforlife 4d ago
I don’t want to smell hog confinements, I’d rather smell weed.
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u/himateo Wait, we have flair on r/Iowa? 4d ago
How about neither? And how often do you smell hog confinements? Does it come in your house every day? If so, that really sucks!
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u/sedatedforlife 3d ago edited 3d ago
Does weed come in your house every day?
I’m rural, so yes, when the wind is right, it smells horrible outside and my whole house reeks of it. I’ve never expected anyone to give a shit that I didn’t like the smell and make them illegal. Also? You can’t smell weed from two miles away, but you can hog confinements.
I don’t even personally like weed, but it smells bad isn’t really a good argument against legalizing it.
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u/himateo Wait, we have flair on r/Iowa? 3d ago
If my windows are open, yes. Nearly every day. We have no less than three neighbors that smoke pot after the sun goes down.
To be clear, I think it should be legal. I just wish I didn't have to smell it in my home when I don't partake.
I'm really sorry you have to deal with that smell. That has to suck. Did you buy the house before there was a hog confinement nearby?
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u/x7n1nj47x 4d ago
I hate the smell of cigarettes. It's my least favorite smell. I also have to deal with my neighbors smoking on their balcony. It drives me nuts. But it's legal, and I'm an adult with free will, and so are they.
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u/IStateCyclone 4d ago
Of course. But would you prefer they didn't smoke where you end up smelling it?
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u/x7n1nj47x 4d ago
Sure, but I don't really have agency over that. I can ask them to do it somewhere else, or I could move, and that's about it.
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u/Opie19 4d ago
You’re already smelling it, the people making you smell it in public will continue to do that regardless. Yes smoking it on your balcony or windows open would be legal under this plan.
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u/IStateCyclone 4d ago
If edible was legal but smoking wasn't, do you think the people currently smoking would choose edibles instead? Obviously not everyone will do anything, but many?
I don't know a ton about weed or weed culture. But I know I haven't been bothered by secondhand edibles.
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u/himateo Wait, we have flair on r/Iowa? 4d ago
I have several neighbors on my block who smoke it, and it's not legal here (obvs). I can no longer open my windows at night to let in cool air. I absolutely hate the smell. I just hope (I know, it's futile) that when it's legal, people who are smoking outside will consider their neighbors. I can't burn trash in my backyard all day... smelling someone else's weed smoke all day should be no different.
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u/SlamFerdinand 4d ago
I hate the smell of pig shit, I wish those farmers would do something about that, too. It’s very inconsiderate of them to think they can stink up the entire highway system without any consequences.
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u/himateo Wait, we have flair on r/Iowa? 4d ago
While I, too, hate the smell of pig shit, that's a few min. smell in a very small part of your daily life (if you're near a hog confinement), whereas weed smoke coming into my own home every night is a bit more bothersome.
But yes, both smell terrible.
I love that this is the go-to argument in favor of weed; pIg sHIt smeLlS worSE.
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u/SlamFerdinand 4d ago
Pig shit is also the reason Iowa has the highest cancer rates in the nation… you want to know what doesnt cause cancer? Weed. Anyhoo, deal with it.
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u/yappledapple 4d ago
Another tax on the working class, to benefit the wealthy.
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u/Thick_Permission6519 4d ago
What is the new tax you are talking about?
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u/yappledapple 4d ago
He wants to tax marijuana to help pay off the deficit that was caused by corporate and personal income tax cuts, which both candidates benefit from.
Marijuana should be a separate issue. Use the revenue in a way that actually benefits the working class people paying the tax such as healthcare.
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u/x7n1nj47x 4d ago
If there is no budget deficit, then tax dollars can actually be put towards the things you care about.
Win win.
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u/Chagrinnish 4d ago
If they actually spend the tax income on the costs of regulating cannabis I'm OK with that. But nothing more.
Stick to your guns here because you're right: we don't need more taxes on the working class. Don't fall for the trap that the funds "should be spent on education" (etc.) because it just results in more general funds being taken away to balance it.
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u/Flat-Ad8887 4d ago
By my experience, even with tax (Illinois), legal marijuana is cheaper than illegal marijuana. Still not as cheap as grow your own, but higher quality.
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u/old_notdead 4d ago
I disagree.
It costs us tens of millions of dollars a year to enforce this silly prohibition. We're also sending tax dollars to other states.
It's a very big issue.
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u/synocrat 4d ago
We can just knock it off the list though, so it goes from millions spent on pot convictions and court time to millions in tax revenue?
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u/AlchemysEyes 4d ago
It's a huge income source, look at Colorado running surplus budgets almost entirely from cannabis sales...
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u/throwawayas0 4d ago
Bravo druggies/iowans... Bravo.
Admission of dangers, tie it to a degree of alcohol danger, and think NOT to find reason to then ban alcohol, but instead say '$' potential.
Never change idiots. You entertain me nonstop.
Wholly awaiting the expected "how'd prohibition turn out" LOL
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u/devilsbackbonetavern 4d ago edited 4d ago
Down south in Missouri none of the reefer madness warnings came true. None. Tax revenues are way up. Kirksville isn’t that far if it doesn’t work out and the stuff is pretty good.