Pending legislation in Nebraska that would have established a medical cannabis industry failed by two votes, a frustratingly tight margin for advocates. The vote needed 33 yes votes to pass, and only received 31, making it unable to break a filibuster. LB 474 is officially off the table. 

Nebraska Aims To Legalize Medical Marijuana

Defending his stance against a bill to adopt Nebraska’s Medical Cannabis Act, Governor Pete Ricketts says “legalising marijuana” will “kill kids”.

In a press conference after discussion between lawmakers regarding Legislative Bill 474, Governor Ricketts said:

“So this is a dangerous drug that will impact our kids. If you legalise marijuana, you’re going to kill your kids. That’s what the data shows from around the country.”

It was really an over the top statement given Legislative Bill 474 is in connection to medicinal cannabis – but the Governor sees it as the thin edge of the wedge and also wants the FDA’s blessing on any medical cannabis products.

Here’s the full video, posted by The Recount:

Annette and Bruce Wiles are spending the snowy winter selling their hops equipment after six years of selling their fragrant flowers in the brewery supply chain. It was a good experience, Annette says now, and the learning curve has helped get them to where they want to be as the 2021 season opens: primed and ready for hemp cultivation.

A state senator introduced a proposed amendment to the Nebraska Constitution on Thursday that would legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older. If advanced by the Nebraska Legislature, the proposed amendment from state Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha would appear on the ballot in 2022.

There’s a renewed push to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in Nebraska, lawmakers say they plan to obtain 250,000 total signatures to get both medical initiatives on the ballot in 2022.

Nebraska voters are already weighing the pros and cons to both proposals.

“There's a negative propaganda about it and I think... people should look deeper into it,” said Nick Hancke. “There’s a positive aspect to it than what’s been said about it.”

“I think everything has its limitations,” said Princess Brown. “So as long as it’s not something that is going to be abused, which we all know people do that, I do think it would be beneficial.”

Even as historically conservative states have embraced legalization, reefer madness is alive and well in Nebraska.

At least with the state’s governor, Pete Ricketts, who on Tuesday once again sounded the alarm on something that a growing majority of the country is cool with.

It wasn't long Wednesday morning before Don Lantis had fielded three phone calls from people wanting to go into the marijuana dispensary business with him.

Lantis, the grand old man of fireworks in North Sioux City, is personally not fond of marijuana and has never used it. (He prefaced this several times by noting, "I'm 79 years old.") But it's impossible to deny the moneymaking potential of marijuana in North Sioux City, the same sort of opportunity that compelled his father to open Lantis Fireworks in the border town 75 years ago.

"There was money to be made there," Lantis said of his father's long-ago decision to sell fireworks directly across the border from Iowa where they were illegal.

Supporters of medical marijuana have launched a new campaign to place the issue before voters in a future year after the Nebraska Supreme Court blocked the measure from appearing on the general election ballot.

Campaign activists submitted new paperwork to the secretary of state's office with simpler ballot language, in hopes of stopping the kind of court challenge that kept this year's measure off the ballot.

Supporters said they also plan to introduce a bill in the 2021 legislative session, although previous efforts to do so have failed amid opposition from conservatives.

Celebrations for medical cannabis access being added to Nebraska’s ballot in November turned out to be very short-lived. But the fight goes on.

There is no medical marijuana program in Nebraska currently and no other allowances for patients. That may have changed after the November election.