Photo from Have A Heart website.
Two of the state’s five medical cannabis dispensaries have abruptly closed.
The “Have a Heart Compassionate Care” dispensaries in Council Bluffs and Davenport are permanently closed. A news release from the Iowa Department of Public Health says state officials were “made aware today” of the decision to close the two outlets.
There are three other state-licensed facilities that sell medical cannabis products in Sioux City, Waterloo and Windsor Heights, which is a Des Moines suburb. In a written statement, officials in the Department of Public Health said the agency will work to license two new dispensaries in western and eastern Iowa as soon as possible.
The medical cannabis industry has been lobbying legislators to expand the state law that set up the system for growing, producing and selling cannabis products in Iowa, arguing current restrictions mean they are not able to make a go of their businesses.
Last year, Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill that would have let the businesses sell more potent medical marijuana products. This year, lawmakers have been crafting a bill that would meet the governor’s objections, but medical marijuana advocates say it’s still too restrictive.