Beto O’Rourke Campaign Thanks Iowa Democrats Fighting for Medical-Marijuana Legislation

DES MOINES, IOWA (May 29, 2019) — In response to the call for the Iowa State Legislature to reconvene for a special session to override Governor Kim Reynolds’ medical-cannabis expansion veto, Beto O’Rourke’s campaign in Iowa released the following statement from Norm Sterzenbach, Beto’s Iowa State Director: “Iowans deserve public servants who will stand up and fight for them, and we all thank Senator [Joe] Bolkcom, Representative [John] Forbes, and legislative leaders for pushing back against Gov Reynolds’ irresponsible veto. Iowans will continue to needlessly suffer because Gov Reynolds chose to play politics with our health-care. Medical-cannabis is an important alternative for those seeking treatment, and we stand with our elected officials fighting for this common-sense medical help,” said Sterzenbach. Beto O’Rourke has been outspoken on the issue of decriminalizing marijuana since he was on the El Paso City Council, including last week in Des Moines at his CNN Town Hall. In 2011, he co-authored a book about the failed war on drugs, explaining why the country must end the federal prohibition on marijuana and expunge the records of those who were locked away for possessing it. In Congress, Beto co-sponsored about two dozen pieces of legislation targeting cannabis-reform, including bills to expand medical-marijuana research and allow the VA to recommend cannabis to veterans by removing CBD from the list of federally-banned substances.