The Nebraska legislature’s General Affairs Committee earlier this month voted 5-3 against advancing a bill to implement and regulate medical cannabis in the state, the Nebraska Examiner reports. The disapproval by the committee leaves the state’s patients in limbo, despite the reforms being approved by 67% of voters last November.
State Sen. Ben Hansen (R), who introduced the legislation, told the Independent that the legislation is “a must” for the 2025 session to prevent the “Wild West.” Without a regulatory bill, the commission created by voters to regulate medical cannabis has no power or funding.
“I don’t want to shut all the doors right now, but some doors are closing, and they’re closing fast, and so we have to act.” — Hansen to the Independent
The committee had tried to negotiate an amendment with Hansen that would have regulated cannabis through the state’s prescription drug monitoring system in addition to seed-to-sale tracking systems, and would have limited the medical cannabis qualifying conditions list to just 15 ailments. The amendment was not agreed to.
Crista Eggers, executive director of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, told the Independent that the rejection “will not be the end” and that advocates “have every intention to keep fighting.”
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