Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) has launched a new medical cannabis ballot initiative after the Nebraska Supreme Court rejected the group’s 2020 initiative in September. Having been rejected over claims that the initiative covered more than one issue, the new initiative is only one sentence: “Persons in the State of Nebraska shall have the right to cannabis in all its forms for medical purposes.”
Taking inspiration from the legal casino gambling initiative passed in Nebraska, the group plans on following up their effort with statutory initiatives to build out a “safe and secure” medical cannabis system in the state.
State Senator Anna Wishart, Co-Chair of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, said in a press release:
“Families with loved ones suffering from conditions like epilepsy, PTSD, Parkinson’s, and cancer have fought for years to make medical cannabis safely accessible in our state as it is in 33 other states. This year over 190,000 Nebraskans successfully petitioned our government during a pandemic for that right, and despite receiving qualification from the Secretary of State, our initiative was removed from the ballot by a 5-2 vote from Nebraska’s Supreme Court. We will not give up and intend to bring this fight to the legislature in January with a bill that I will introduce and to the ballot in 2022.” — Sen. Anna Wishart, in press release
Despite an internal analysis showing their initiative had an equal number of registered Republicans, Democrats and independents, people from all age groups and signees from all 93 of Nebraska’s counties, NMM’s 2020 initiative was struck down in September after a challenge by Lancaster County Sherriff Terry Wagner. Wagner later said he was asked by ex-Nebraska Republican Party chair attorney Mark Fahleson if his name could be used for the legal challenge; the sheriff said he did not know who paid for the effort.
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