Nebraska Approaches Deadline to Include Medical Cannabis on November Ballot

Medical marijuana stamp | Image Credit: © Balint Radu - adobe.stock.com

In the latest push, advocates have until July 3, 2024, to collect 87,000 signatures each for two separate ballot initiatives that, if passed, would enable legal medical cannabis access in Nebraska (1). One measure aims to protect medical cannabis patients and their caregivers and the other creates the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate private medical cannabis businesses (2,3). Currently, cannabis—including cannabidiol (CBD) products—is illegal in the Cornhusker State (1).

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) is leading the effort to qualify the two ballot measures for the November election (2). “Over the past decade, a coalition of courageous families, patient advocates, and state legislators have built a grassroots movement for compassionate cannabis policy reform here in Nebraska,” the NMM website explained (3). “NMM is a registered ballot campaign committee led by advocates who have worked tirelessly to bring attention to the issue and mobilize support for a medical cannabis across the state.”

Leading the efforts is campaign manager Crista Eggers, who has been advocating to legalize medical cannabis for several years, ever since her son was diagnosed with intractable epilepsy (3). She was part of a nearly successful 2020 ballot initiative, though the initiative was removed due to a lawsuit that resulted in a court ruling stating that the measure violated the single subject requirement (4). A 2022 ballot initiative was also unsuccessful (1). “I’m a caregiver to a child that needs medical cannabis access,” stated Eggers (1). “Ninety-five percent of our people collecting [signatures] are Nebraskans who know someone who needs access and needs this issue on the ballot.”

Thirty-eight US states currently allow medical cannabis use under certain conditions, and twenty-four states have legalized cannabis for recreational purposes (1). Florida and South Dakota are the two most recent states to add cannabis legalization to their ballots this November (5,6).

In early April 2024, the Florida Supreme Court voted 5-2 to allow a cannabis initiative to appear on the ballot (5). If the initiative is approved by 60 percent of Florida voters, recreational cannabis would become legal in the state. It would allow individuals 21 and older to “possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise,” according to the initiative text. The initiative was led by Smart & Safe Florida, which helped collect the over 1 million signatures from voters and received funding from Trulieve, the state’s largest medical cannabis business. Medical cannabis was approved by voters in 2016.

On June 3, 2024, Measure 29 was approved by the South Dakota Secretary of State and will appear on the ballot in November (6). If passed by voters, cannabis would be legal for adults 21 years old and older for possession of up to two ounces of flower and 16 grams of concentrates. Additionally, private cultivation of up to six plants would be allowed. Medical cannabis has been legal in the state since 2020, though this is the third time in the past few years that recreational cannabis will be placed before voters.

Only three states in the country—Idaho, Kansas, and Nebraska—do not allow cannabis in any form (1).

References

1. Sequeira, R. 3 more states could see marijuana legalization on November ballots https://stateline.org/2024/06/11/three-more-states-could-see-marijuana-legalization-on-november-ballots/ (accessed June 12, 2024).
2. Wendling, Z. Nebraska medical marijuana advocates surpass one of two key signature hurdles https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/16/nebraska-medical-marijuana-advocates-surpass-one-of-two-key-signature-hurdles/ (accessed June 12, 2024).
3. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana https://nebraskamarijuana.org/ (accessed June 12, 2024).
4. Dolphin, W. Meet ASA's Featured Advocates: Crista Eggers https://www.safeaccessnow.org/crista_eggers (accessed June 12, 2024).
5. McEvoy, E. Cannabis Legislation Updates from Florida, Virginia, and Kansas https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/cannabis-legislation-updates-from-kansas-virginia-and-florida (accessed June 12, 2024).
6. McEvoy, E. Recreational Cannabis Will Be on South Dakota’s November Ballot https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/recreational-cannabis-will-be-on-south-dakota-s-november-ballot (accessed June 12, 2024).