Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand wants to legalize, tax and regulate adult use of cannabis in Iowa, his campaign announced Monday, April 20, in a cheeky nod to weed’s unofficial holiday.
“We need to treat cannabis like alcohol in Iowa,” he said in a social media post. “It’s commonsense.”
Sand said he would tap experts to create age restrictions, quality and safety standards, THC limits and taxation rules for marijuana, which he would regulate through the existing Alcoholic Beverages Division.
“Legalizing adult-use cannabis and treating it like alcohol creates jobs, keeps Iowans from spending their money in neighboring states and would increase tax revenue that could address our $1.4 billion budget deficit while also helping support farmers,” he said on social media.
Iowa is on track to spend over $1 billion more than it receives in tax revenue for the second year in a row, owing largely to state and federal tax cuts.
Democrats such as Sand accuse Republican leaders of mismanaging the budget and using sources of one-time funding to cover ongoing expenses. But Republicans say the tax cuts are working as designed and plan to tap into Iowa’s Taxpayer Relief Fund, which holds about $4 billion.
Sand said taxing cannabis as other states do would help bolster Iowa’s fiscal outlook, and he said growing it in Iowa would open up a new revenue stream for small farmers.
He said only adults over 21 should be able to purchase cannabis products, packaging should be child-resistant and advertisements and packaging should not be geared toward children.
Sand is the first of the 2026 gubernatorial candidates to come out in favor of legalizing marijuana, although 2022 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deidre DeJear also advocated for legalized recreational marijuana in her 2022 race.
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections and the Iowa Caucuses. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: On 4/20, governor candidate Rob Sand calls for legalizing cannabis
Reporting by Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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