While already collecting tens of thousands of signatures towards getting medical cannabis on Nebraska’s November ballot; tens of thousands more are needed to qualify – and soon.
Nebraska is one of the only states not permitting the use of cannabis medicinally (or recreationally) in any form. In September last year, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) commenced its signature collection drive – the third time NMM has attempted to get medical cannabis on the state’s ballot.
The first attempt in 2020 collected enough signatures, but was kicked off the ballot by a court decision due to the state’s single subject requirements. The second attempt in 2022 met funding challenges and failed to meet the county qualification requirements.
Last week, the organisation said it needed to collect 30,000 signatures before July 3. At that point, NMM had collected 65,000 signatures. While 30,000 more is a significant hurdle, the campaign has already cleared another: satisfying a requirement that signatures must come from at least 5% of voters in 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.
Approximately 87,000 signatures need to be verified by the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office to qualify for the November ballot and NMM is aiming for 95,000 to allow for some that may be rejected for whatever reason.
Earlier this week, the group said:
“We’ve got 24 days left, Nebraska! Find a place to sign today. Let’s finally bring a compassionate medical cannabis program to our state!”
NMM is collecting signatures from Nebraska voters on two ballot petitions:
- The Patient Protection Act: Protects patients with serious health conditions and their caregivers from arrest for the use of medical cannabis as recommended by a health care provider.
- The Medical Cannabis Regulation Act – Establishes the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate private businesses that provide medical cannabis to qualified patients.
If NMM can get the signatures and have medical cannabis put on the November ballot, the chances are very good the state’s voters will approve it. Polling early this year found 70% of respondents gave the thumbs up to legalizing medical marijuana in Nebraska
Further information on the ballot initiative can be found here.
