Written March 8, 2025 by Sondra Wilson. Updated May 14. Email WildWillpower.org for suggestions to improve this section of the platform.
“Getting Iowa’s farmers in early on expected crop booms, and ensuring the safety and freedom of Iowans.”
The Crop Diversity and Enrichment Act goes hand-in-hand with the Rural Iowa Revitalizaiton Act.
I. Perform Research to Get Iowans in on Expected Crop Booms
Batteries from hemp create expected industry boom. Iowa farmers may wish to get in early on the expected hemp boom early as we seek to partner with the Wisconsin-based WinBat, and protects Iowa’s youth from having to deal with life setbacks imposed by unfair incarceration and fines.
Pokeweed boom exploration. Economists, please send an assessment to [email protected], indicating what it might look like for Iowa to get in on growing solar panels from pokeweed berries.
Crop exploration. Red desert rice, more commonly known as Indian Ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides), exemplifies potential worth exploring: think rice that requires very little water. This could be a save-the-world crop which doesn’t drain rivers. Developing industry standards could mutually benefit California during its drought and Iowa’s research facilities, farms, and general economy. Red desert rice is one of several plants WWP will soon recommend.
II. End Outdated, Prohibition-Era, Anti-Cannabis Legislative Overreach
The 1999 documentary Grass Illustrates that during the Prohibition Era, cannabis was made illegal by the U.S. Government. The propaganda campaign, largely pushed by cotton industry lobbyists, chose to call it marijuana in order to play into peoples’ prejudices against Mexicans to convince them to turn against it. Regardless of the reason it’s still illegal here in Iowa, it is time to lift people up instead of punishing them for exploring a plant that humans have used historically, all over the world, for thousands of years. It is not a terrible drug like meth or fentanyl, and should not carry the same level of stigmatism and burden for people who use it recreationally. The State of Iowa can better go about educating people about its implications on human health while letting Iowans make the decision for themselves.
Under the Act, it will not be legal to operate a motorized vehicle while stoned.