Nebraska Advocates Push for Medical Cannabis Initiative Signatures

LOS ANGELES- Nebraskan advocates are urgently working to collect signatures for their medical cannabis initiative to be included on this year’s ballot. The advocacy group Nebraska for Medical Marijuana (NMM) is appealing to supporters to help gather the necessary signatures before the approaching deadline.

NMM campaign manager Crista Eggers sent an email on June 6, emphasizing the need for more support. “There is no doubt we are farther ahead than in past petition drives, but still have a tremendous push to gather over 30,000 signatures on each petition over the next 27 days to assure we are successful,” Eggers said.

Eggers, who has long advocated for medical cannabis legalization, has personal stakes in the issue. Her son has suffered from epileptic seizures since he was two years old, and she has witnessed the relief that medical cannabis can provide. “There is no doubt Nebraskans want to see this on the ballot, so we need them to step up and help make that happen,” she said. “My personal ask, not as a campaign manager, but as a mother, is that people would react as if their child’s life depends on it and go sign; because for many of us, our child’s life really does depend on it.”

NMM’s initiative must be submitted with signatures from 7% of voters by July 3. These signatures must come from at least 38 of the state’s 93 counties. Eggers highlighted the importance of focusing on county-specific signature collection due to the time and resources required. “We made the counties our main focus because they require a great deal of time and resources that cannot wait until the last minute,” she said. “We have the counties, but we have an urgent need to collect bulk signatures.” At least 87,000 signatures must be verified by the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office for the initiative to appear on the ballot.

NMM recently posted on social media about a volunteer whose child could benefit from medical cannabis, urging others to support the cause. “There’s a parent sitting in the hospital right now, exhausted and desperate for help for their suffering child who lay in the bed before them,” the post stated. “With only 29 days until signature turn in, and thousands of signatures to still be collected, this parent, and patients across this state are begging for help. Be a part of something today, that may change someone’s life tomorrow.”

This initiative marks the third attempt to legalize medical cannabis in Nebraska. Previous efforts in 2020 and 2022 failed due to legal challenges and insufficient signatures.

Nebraska is one of a few states that have yet to legalize medical cannabis, alongside Idaho, Kansas, Wyoming, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Other states are also seeing cannabis-related initiatives on this year’s ballot. In South Dakota, Measure 29 will address adult-use cannabis legalization, while in Florida, there is strong support for an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis use.

Other States’ Cannabis Ballot Initiatives

• Idaho: The Idaho Medical Marijuana Initiative, although not on this year’s ballot, aimed to allow patients with chronic or terminal conditions to use cannabis.
• South Dakota: Measure 29 will address adult-use cannabis legalization after previous initiatives were challenged.
• Florida: A poll shows 66% support for an adult-use cannabis legalization initiative, with strong backing across party lines.

The outcome of these initiatives will have significant implications for cannabis policy across the United States.