Pot Decriminalization May Come to Iowa

State Rep. knows it has a tough road

The morning after Election Day, as news sunk in that voters in two states had legalized recreational marijuana, state Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, was having conversations with constituents on their front lawns about the prospect of Iowa doing the same.

"I was out picking up signs, and I ran into several people that wanted to talk about possibly legalizing marijuana and what we could do," he said.

In the coming weeks, Hunter says he hopes to begin the process when he pre-introduces a bill that would decriminalize marijuana in Iowa. In states that have done so, like Nebraska and Minnesota, those caught in possession of small amounts of marijuana wouldn't necessarily be sentenced to jail, as long as they weren't dealing the drug.