124E.12 Use of medical cannabidiol — affirmative defenses.
1. A health care practitioner, including any authorized agent or employee thereof, shall not be subject to prosecution for the unlawful certification, possession, or administration of marijuana under the laws of this state for activities arising directly out of or directly related to the certification or use of medical cannabidiol in the treatment of a patient diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition as authorized by this chapter.
2. A medical cannabidiol manufacturer, including any authorized agent or employee thereof, shall not be subject to prosecution for manufacturing, possessing, cultivating, harvesting, transporting, packaging, processing, or supplying medical cannabidiol pursuant to this chapter.
3. A medical cannabidiol dispensary, including any authorized agent or employee thereof, shall not be subject to prosecution for dispensing medical cannabidiol pursuant to this chapter.
4. a. In a prosecution for the unlawful possession of marijuana under the laws of this state for the possession of medical cannabidiol, including but not limited to chapters 124 and 453B, it is an affirmative and complete defense to the prosecution that the patient has been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition, used or possessed medical cannabidiol pursuant to a certification by a health care practitioner as authorized under this chapter, and, for a patient eighteen years of age or older, is in possession of a valid medical cannabidiol registration card issued pursuant to this chapter.
b. In a prosecution for the unlawful possession of marijuana under the laws of this state for the possession of medical cannabidiol, including but not limited to chapters 124 and 453B, it is an affirmative and complete defense to the prosecution that the person possessed medical cannabidiol because the person is a primary caregiver of a patient who has been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition and is in possession of a valid medical cannabidiol registration card issued pursuant to this chapter, and where the primary caregiver’s possession of the medical cannabidiol is on behalf of the patient and for the patient’s use only as authorized under this chapter.
c. If a patient or primary caregiver is charged with the unlawful possession of marijuana under the laws of this state for the possession of medical cannabidiol, including but not limited to chapters 124 and 453B, and is not in possession of the person’s medical cannabidiol registration card, any charge or charges filed against the person for the possession of medical cannabidiol shall be dismissed by the court if the person produces to the court prior to or at the person’s trial a medical cannabidiol registration card issued to that person and valid at the time the person was charged.
5. An agency of this state or a political subdivision thereof, including any law enforcement agency, shall not remove or initiate proceedings to remove a patient under the age of eighteen from the home of a parent based solely upon the parent’s or patient’s possession or use of medical cannabidiol as authorized under this chapter.
6. The department, the department of transportation, and any health care practitioner, including any authorized agent or employee thereof, are not subject to any civil or disciplinary penalties by the board of medicine or any business, occupational, or professional licensing board or entity, solely for activities conducted relating to a patient’s possession or use of medical cannabidiol as authorized under this chapter. Nothing in this section affects a professional licensing board from taking action in response to violations of any other section of law.
7. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the department, the governor, or any employee of any state agency shall not be held civilly or criminally liable for any injury, loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by any act or omission while acting within the scope of office or employment as authorized under this chapter.
8. An attorney shall not be subject to disciplinary action by the Iowa supreme court or attorney disciplinary board for providing legal assistance to a patient, primary caregiver, or others based upon a patient’s or primary caregiver’s possession or use of medical cannabidiol as authorized under this chapter.
9. Possession of a medical cannabidiol registration card or an application for a medical cannabidiol registration card by a person entitled to possess or apply for a medical cannabidiol registration card shall not constitute probable cause or reasonable suspicion, and shall not be used to support a search of the person or property of the person possessing or applying for the medical cannabidiol registration card, or otherwise subject the person or property of the person to inspection by any governmental agency.
2017 Acts, ch 162, §15, 25; 2020 Acts, ch 1116, §23
Subsection 7 amended