Iowa prohibits all home cannabis cultivation, including by registered medical cannabidiol patients; Des Moines residents cannot legally grow any cannabis plants for personal or medical use.
Iowa Code §124E authorizes only state-licensed manufacturers to produce medical cannabidiol; patients must purchase from licensed dispensaries and may not cultivate plants at home. Recreational possession and cultivation remain criminalized under Iowa Code §124.401. Even a single cannabis plant violates Iowa drug law and exposes the grower to criminal charges, separate from any Des Moines zoning question. Federal law also prohibits cultivation. Home cultivation cannot be permitted by city ordinance because Iowa preempts the field through state criminal statute. Des Moines police enforce state law on home grows when discovered.
Cultivating any cannabis plant in Des Moines is a state criminal offense; charges scale with plant count and intent, ranging from serious misdemeanor to felony with mandatory minimums.
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