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HF78 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to the possession of small quantities of marijuana, and providing penalties.

A bill for an act relating to the possession of small quantities of marijuana, and providing penalties.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
JONES
Last action
2025-01-16
Official status
Introduced, referred to Public Safety. H.J. 87 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act relating to the possession of small quantities of marijuana, and providing penalties.

A bill for an act relating to the possession of small quantities of marijuana, and providing penalties.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to the possession of small quantities of marijuana, and providing penalties.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-01-16 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Public Safety. H.J. 87 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to the possession of small quantities of marijuana, and providing penalties.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

File

78

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

78

BY

JONES

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

possession

of

small

quantities

of

1

marijuana,

and

providing

penalties.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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H.F.

78

Section

1.

Section

124.401,

subsection

1,

paragraph

d,

Code

1

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

d.

(1)

Violation

Except

as

provided

in

subparagraph

3

(2),

violation

of

this

subsection

,

with

respect

to

any

other

4

controlled

substances,

counterfeit

substances,

simulated

5

controlled

substances,

or

imitation

controlled

substances

6

classified

in

schedule

IV

or

V

is

an

aggravated

misdemeanor.

7

However,

8

(2)

(a)

Except

as

otherwise

provided

in

subparagraph

9

division

(b),

a

violation

of

this

subsection

involving

fifty

10

kilograms

or

less

of

marijuana

or

involving

flunitrazepam

is

a

11

class

“D”

felony.

12

(b)

A

violation

of

this

subsection

involving

the

possession

13

of

one-half

ounce

or

less

of

marijuana

that

was

not

offered

14

for

sale

is

a

simple

misdemeanor

punishable

as

a

scheduled

15

violation

under

section

805.8A,

subsection

14.

16

Sec.

2.

Section

124.401,

subsection

5,

paragraph

b,

Code

17

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

18

b.

If

Except

as

provided

in

subsection

1,

paragraph

“d”

,

19

subparagraph

(2),

subparagraph

division

(b),

involving

one-half

20

ounce

or

less

of

marijuana

that

was

not

offered

for

sale,

if

21

the

controlled

substance

is

marijuana,

the

punishment

shall

22

be

by

imprisonment

in

the

county

jail

for

not

more

than

six

23

months

or

by

a

fine

of

not

more

than

one

thousand

dollars,

or

24

by

both

such

fine

and

imprisonment

for

a

first

offense.

If

25

the

controlled

substance

is

marijuana

and

the

person

has

been

26

previously

convicted

of

a

violation

of

this

subsection

in

which

27

the

controlled

substance

was

marijuana,

the

punishment

shall

be

28

as

provided

in

section

903.1,

subsection

1

,

paragraph

“b”

.

If

29

the

controlled

substance

is

marijuana

and

the

person

has

been

30

previously

convicted

two

or

more

times

of

a

violation

of

this

31

subsection

in

which

the

controlled

substance

was

marijuana,

the

32

person

is

guilty

of

an

aggravated

misdemeanor.

33

Sec.

3.

Section

805.8A,

subsection

14,

Code

2025,

is

amended

34

by

adding

the

following

new

paragraph:

35

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2

H.F.

78

NEW

PARAGRAPH

.

q.

Marijuana

possession

violations.

For

1

violations

under

section

124.401,

subsection

1,

paragraph

“d”

,

2

subparagraph

(2),

subparagraph

division

(b),

involving

less

3

than

one-half

ounce

of

marijuana

that

was

not

offered

for

sale,

4

the

scheduled

fine

is

five

hundred

dollars.

5

Sec.

4.

REPEAL.

Section

124.410,

Code

2025,

is

repealed.

6

EXPLANATION

7

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

8

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

9

This

bill

relates

to

the

possession

of

small

quantities

of

10

marijuana.

11

The

bill

provides

that

certain

conduct

involving

one-half

12

ounce

or

less

of

marijuana

that

was

not

offered

for

sale

is

13

a

simple

misdemeanor

punishable

by

a

scheduled

fine

of

$500.

14

Current

law

imposes

penalties

ranging

from

an

aggravated

15

misdemeanor

up

to

a

class

“B”

felony

depending

upon

the

conduct

16

of

the

defendant

and

the

quantity

of

marijuana.

17

The

bill

repeals

Code

section

124.410,

which

involves

18

proving

that

the

defendant

delivered

or

possessed

with

intent

19

to

deliver

one-half

ounce

or

less

of

marijuana

that

was

not

20

offered

for

sale.

21

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