One of 10 growers granted hemp licenses this year from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture was forced to shred their crop Nov. 26 because of the too-high THC level it produced.

This year has been momentous for cannabis reform, from the Illinois General Assembly becoming the first state legislature to pass a bill to regulate cannabis like alcohol to the U.S. House of Representatives passing the SAFE Banking Act and forging ahead with the MORE Act. 

It’s important to celebrate these victories, but with the end of 2019 comes the beginning of 2020, which is already shaping up to be the biggest year ever for marijuana-policy reform. 

The numbers 11 and 33 come up quite often when the topic of marijuana legalization is discussed. Currently, 11 U.S. states allow the legal use of recreational marijuana, while 33 states have legalized medical cannabis. But those numbers could soon change.

Nine states could be on track to hold key votes on some form of marijuana legalization in 2020. Here are the states that could be next on the marijuana map -- and the stocks that could be poised to profit the most.

For all cannabis legalization’s progress, and all the excitement drug-policy reform and a booming CBD and cannabis market make, much of the United States remains outwardly hostile to marijuana — in some cases, outwardly so.

Against this backdrop, a few states stand out for soldiering on with the drug war.

Just half an acre of industrial hemp was (legally) cultivated last year in Nebraska – that should increase exponentially in the not too distant future.

Late last week Governor Pete Ricketts signed a bill into law allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp as an alternative crop.

Championed by Senator Justin Wayne, LB 657 adopts the Nebraska Hemp Act, which will align state law with federal law regarding the cultivation, handling, marketing, and processing of the crop – and products made from it.

Nebraska lawmakers have kicked off a debate on a proposal to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes as activists push a much broader ballot measure that would place the issue before voters next year.

Supporters argued Wednesday that the legislative bill is narrowly tailored, with restrictions on how much users can possess and a ban on marijuana smoking.

Senators who oppose the measure say the drug is still illegal at the federal level and argue that its benefits and dangers haven't been fully studied.

The sponsor, Sen. Anna Wishart, of Lincoln, says the bill is intended to address the concerns of many groups who raised concerns about it.

Marijuana reform is gaining momentum in the American Midwest as Nebraska and North Dakota have recently taken steps toward changing their outdated cannabis policies, writes Calvin Hughes.

Earlier this week, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R) quietly made a small but important change to the Roughrider State's marijuana policies. On Wednesday, he signed a bill that will see small amounts of cannabis decriminalized in the state come August 1.

A Nebraska lawmaker is pushing for a change in the state’s drug laws that he says are outdated, according to a report in the Lincoln Journal Star. Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha has introduced two bills that would adjust penalties for some drug possession and distribution offenses. At a meeting of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Wayne said current laws were putting people who were not involved in the distribution of drugs in prison for trafficking and creating overcrowding in state prisons and county jails.

Two Nebraska state senators will lead a newly formed campaign committee, Nebraskans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, for the purpose of running a 2020 ballot initiative to reform marijuana laws in Nebraska.

The committee, lead by Anna Wishart and Adam Morfeld, both of Lincoln, filed its initial paperwork with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission on Thursday morning.

According to a release, the hope of the committee is to "prioritize the right for Nebraskans to use marijuana for medical purposes."