A string of tragic events has left a citizen-led campaign to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska in search of donations. 

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana lost two individuals who were expected to make a major contribution to the current legalization campaign.

One of those donors, who contributed to the group's 2020 campaign that nearly made it onto the ballot, died in a plane crash, according to state Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, a co-sponsor of the campaign. A second person, who was expected to make a contribution, was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The campaign, in an email to supporters Wednesday, described the loss as a "huge setback."

Gage County business is finding success cultivating a crop that’s relatively new to the area.

Production of hemp became legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. Despite criticism and confusion of hemp with marijuana, it’s used in a variety of industries including construction, bio-fuel, food, fiber, paper, oils, textiles and medicines.

Dick Penner, founder of Huskerland Hemp, said he saw the hemp industry as a financially lucrative opportunity that he could use to help people.

“I’ve always liked to grow things,” Penner said. “When I was a boy I grew tomatoes and had a route of customers that I would deliver to in Beatrice and to some grocery stores.”

Seward County deputies seized 10.5 pounds of fentanyl and 30 pounds of marijuana from a car hauler tractor-trailer.

The Seward County Sheriff's Office said deputies stopped the car hauler with eight vehicles loaded on and became suspicious of the vehicle.

When deputies inspected the car hauler, they found three tires with contraband. Deputies took the tires to a local repair shop to further inspect them. That's when they found the fentanyl and marijuana inside of the tires.

Yellowing soybean leaves and drying corn husks are early autumn signs that huge combines will soon gobble grain from vast fields of Nebraska’s two main crops.

They also mark completion of a promising but problematic harvest: Hemp.

It’s the second year Nebraska farmers can legally grow and process industrial hemp.