Medical Cannabis Advocacy Gains Momentum in Nebraska

LOS ANGELES- The advocacy group, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM), is stepping up its efforts to legalize medical cannabis in the state. The group has rolled out two initiatives for the 2024 ballot: The Patient Protection Act and The Medical Cannabis Regulation Act. The former aims to shield patients and caregivers, while the latter seeks to establish a regulated market.

Previous Efforts and Challenges

Past campaigns by NMM did not successfully make the ballot. In 2020, the Nebraska Supreme Court thwarted the Nebraska Medical Marijuana Initiative, citing a violation of the state’s single-subject rule. The 2022 effort also fell short due to an inadequate number of signatures from a required number of counties.

Despite the setbacks, NMM campaign manager, Crista Eggers, remains committed. She emphasizes the personal element of the fight, pointing to her nine-year-old son’s struggle with epilepsy. After experimenting with various pharmaceutical solutions, they found medical cannabis to be the most effective. Eggers has vocalized the challenge many face: needing to resort to cannabis to aid their children and then being labeled criminals for doing so.

Political Landscape

The current political atmosphere in Nebraska doesn’t seem entirely receptive. Nebraska’s Governor, Jim Pillen, who assumed office in January 2023, shares his predecessor’s skeptical view on medical cannabis. He advocates for an FDA-approved process for medical marijuana access.

Sen. Anna Wishart, co-chair of NMM, has been a steadfast supporter of medical cannabis. She has repeatedly presented medical cannabis bills, with one in 2021 narrowly missing the mark in a judiciary committee. Although she introduced another bill, the “Medicinal Cannabis Act”, in January 2023, it stalled in April without further hearings. As she approaches the end of her term in 2025, Wishart is determined to advance the cause of medical cannabis.

Past opposition has used strong language against the legalization. For instance, former Governor Ricketts had once commented, “If you legalize marijuana, you’re going to kill your kids.” Eggers retaliated, asserting that daily seizures, not cannabis, were the real threat to her child’s life.

The Broader Context

Nebraska is one of the few states, along with Alabama, Idaho, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wyoming, that has not approved medical cannabis. However, even in such states, the winds of change are blowing. As a case in point, the North Carolina Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has taken steps towards endorsing recreational cannabis sales on its territory.

All eyes will now be on NMM and its latest push, with the deadline for the collection of 87,000 signatures per measure set for July 3, 2024. The evolving political and societal landscape might just offer the tailwinds the initiative needs.