Initiatives to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska and set up a regulated MMJ market qualified for the November ballot on Friday, just hours after complications threatening the effort appeared.
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen certified the efforts of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana on Friday, the same day prosecutors announced charges against Michael Egbert, a Grand Island man involved in the petition, for allegedly falsifying signatures.
Nebraska is one of a dwindling handful of states without any regulated marijuana program.
On Thursday, former state Sen. John Kuehn, a co-founder of the anti-legalization organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana, filed a lawsuit to stop Even from certifying two separate measures:
- Ballot measure 437, Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection, to legalize medical marijuana.
- Ballot measure 438, Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation, to create a regulated medical marijuana market.
Kuehn’s suit alleges that Evnen failed to provide adequate time to review and challenge the petition, which also contains “numerous signatures” that should be invalidated, KETV reported.
As for Egbert, prosecutors allege he submitted signatures of deceased residents as well as signatures with misspellings or incorrect dates of birth, according to WOWT.
His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 2.
In the meantime, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana Campaign Manager Crista Eggers said in a news release published before Evnen’s announcement that she expects the measures to appear before voters.
“We look forward to November, when the people’s voice on this issue will finally be heard,” Eggers told Nebraska Public Media.
