Iowa’s drug czar says a new marijuana derivative is showing up on the streets in Iowa. Steve Lukan leads the Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) and says marijuana is reduced to a product known as hash oil or wax. He says it has a high percentage of the psychoactive compound known as THC.
“That then is used in the electronic cigarette, much like you might add a flavored nicotine product, instead they’d be adding the high-potency oil,” according to Lukan. Lukan says the hash oil is likely arriving in Iowa from states which have liberalized their marijuana laws:
“If you’re in states like Colorado there’s been an explosion of products with very little regulation, oil, food products, candies,” Lukan says. Iowa has approved the use of a low THC cannabis oil for limited medical use, but the more potent oil is illegal in the state. Hash oil is produced by boiling down marijuana leaves. Lukan says some of the product is showing up in Iowa schools. He recently made his comments to the governor’s budget panel.