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Feb. 20, 2018DES MOINES, Iowa |  By: INS

Iowa's first-time marijuana use laws among toughest in nation

Supporters of a bill that would reduce the penalties for first-time marijuana possession say it would save Iowans money and reduce the number of Iowans in the criminal justice system. Iowa's first offense penalty for a single marijuana joint is one of the toughest in the country. Daniel Zeno with the Iowa ACLU says the state's harsh penalties hit minority and low-income communities the hardest.

So far, the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy hasn't taken a stand. Other bills to reduce penalties for first-time marijuana possession have been introduced in previous years without success. Zeno says the state's current, severe penalties keep kids out of college and cause Iowans to lose job opportunities.

In 2016, half of the 3,400 possession convictions in Iowa involved five grams of marijuana or less.