Medical Cannabidiol Information for Patients and Caregivers
The following information is designed and organized to help certified patients and caregivers understand Iowa’s Medical Cannabidiol Program.
Frequently Asked Questions
The document below was created to provide answers to the most common questions from patients and prospective patients about Iowa's Medical Cannabidiol Program.
Qualifying Conditions
An Iowa resident may qualify for Iowa's Medicla Cannabidiol Program if their Healthcare Practitioner certifies they have one of the following Qualifying Debilitating Medical Conditions:
- Cancer – if the illness or its treatment produces one or more of the following: severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, cachexia or severe wasting.
- Seizures
- Crohn’s disease
- Chronic pain
- Multiple Sclerosis with severe and persistent muscle spasms
- AIDS or HIV (as defined in Iowa Code, section 141A.1)
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Any terminal illness with a probable life expectancy of under one year – if the illness or its treatment produces one or more of the following: severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, cachexia or severe wasting
- Ulcerative colitis
- Severe, intractable pediatric autism with self-injurious or aggressive behaviors
- Severe, intractable autism with self-injurious or aggressive behaviors
- Corticobasal Degeneration
Patients Start the Process...
If a patient has any of the qualifying conditions listed above, and is interested in medical cannabidiol, the fist step is to schedule an appointment with your Healthcare Practitioner (MD/DO, ARNP, PA, or podiatrist). Before visiting with your healthcare practitioner, patients should download the following two documents and bring them with you to your consultation:
- Healthcare Practitioner Certification Form
- This is the form that your healthcare practitioner will sign if they are to certify a patient's condition.
- Patient Information Sheet
- This is information about medical cannabidiol that healthcare practitioners are required to discuss with patients seeking certification of their qualifying condition for the use of medical cannabidiol.
- For more information and literature on medical cannabidiol and cannabinoids, patients should visit our "For Physicians" page.
- Apply Online - After your healthcare practitioner has signed your Healthcare Practitioner Certification Form, use our online registration system, which can be found on our "Patient Registration" page.
- If you are unable to apply online, please contact us at medical.cannabidiol@idph.iowa.gov, or call us at 515-725-2076.
Renewing Your Card?
A patient’s medical cannabidiol registration card expires one year from the time it is issued by IDPH. Patients will be notified by letter or email 60 days prior to their card expiring. To renew their card, each year, a patient must:
- Visit their healthcare practitioner to have their condition recertified
- Submit the same forms to the Department of Public Health as listed above.
- Provide the necessary payment.
Available Medical Cannabidiol Products
Iowa’s manufacturers produces medical cannabis products in different forms and strengths, examples can be found at our two manufacturer's websites.
Allowable Forms of Medical Cannabidiol in Iowa
- Oral forms - tablets, capsules, liquids, tinctures and sublingual forms
- Topical forms - gels, ointments, creams, lotions and transdermal patches
- Nebulizable inhaled forms
- Suppositories - rectal and vaginal
- Vaporization
Dispensary Locations & Hours of Operation
Medical Cannabidiol is currently available at five dispensaries across the state. The locations include:
- MedPharm Iowa – 5700 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City, IA 51106
- Mon: 11am-6pm
- Tues - Fri: 10am-6pm
- Sat: 9am-3PM
- Sun: Closed
- Iowa Cannabis Company West - 3615 9th Ave, Council Bluffs, IA 51501
- MedPharm Iowa – 7239 Apple Valley Drive, Windsor Heights, IA 50324
- Mon: 11am-6pm
- Tues- Fri: 10am-6pm
- Sat: 9am-3pm
- Sun: Closed
- Iowa Cannabis Company – 1955 La Porte Road, Waterloo, IA 50702
- Iowa Cannabis Company East - 322 Highway 1 W, Iowa City, IA 52245