LINCOLN, Neb. — The new commission that will regulate voter-approved medical cannabis is set to have its first meeting June 9.
Gov. Jim Pillen said he's working on appointing the fifth member of that panel.
That person will also serve as a Nebraska Liquor Control Commissioner.
According to Initiative 438, which was passed by nearly 68% of voters, the new commission has until July 1 to set up rules and regulations for cultivating, processing, distribution and sales of medical cannabis.
The first licenses need to be issued by Oct 1.
Pillen said they will follow the law.
"The people spoke clearly for medical marijuana, not anything else. Medical marijuana, and that's what we'll deliver," Pillen said.
Pillen appointed Dr. Monica Oldenburg, a Lincoln anesthesiologist and Lorelle Mueting, the prevention director of Heartland Family Service in Omaha, to the panel.
Pillen said he is interviewing candidates to fill the vacant Liquor Control Commission seat.
Members of the Liquor Control Commission are on the commission but do not have a vote.
"We're not going to push under a timeline. We need to get it right, and we're working hard. And got to get the right people there," Pillen said.
State Sen. Ben Hansen sponsored a bill to set up guardrails on regulations and establish fees and taxes.
That measure which was supported by the ballot organizers failed.
"So we purposely pushed back the date in my bill to October, because we didn't feel like we would have the time to do that kind of stuff," Hansen said.
Last week, the executive director of the Liquor Control Commission was suspended without pay following a state and federal investigation.
Without Hansen's bill, the new commission has only $30,000 to hire staff.
"$30,000 does not go very far in hiring anybody," Hansen said.
Hansen is also concerned about the makeup of the commission.
"We could potentially have out of five people making decisions about rules and regulations for the entire state, potentially four people who are anti-medical cannabis," Hansen said.
"Restricting it so much, where we do not have a viable program in Nebraska, and then we end up seeing the black market take off even more than it is now, or people who legitimately need this not get it," Hansen said.
"I'm a supporter of medical marijuana and have been forever. It just has to be done correctly," Pillen said.
He is concerned that marijuana is highly addictive.
"It's got to be done through this commission in a way that the people that need medical marijuana will have access, but it's not going to be an open so that it can go everywhere else. I will do everything in my power to protect kids from marijuana," Pillen said.
