Medical marijuana advocates in Nebraska officially launched their third petition campaign, aiming to put legalization to voters on the general election ballot in November 2024.
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana are gathering signatures for two petitions with statutory measures the group hopes will become law, according to the Omaha World-Herald:
- The Medical Cannabis Regulation Act would create the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission, which would regulate medical marijuana businesses in the state.
- The Patient Protection Act would ensure consumers and their caregivers don’t face legal consequences for using MMJ recommended by a health care provider.
Both petitions require 87,000 valid signatures from registered voters.
Signatures must come from at least 5% of registered voters who represent at least 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. The group failed to do that in 2022.
In its first attempt, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana collected enough signatures to put the issue to voters on the 2020 ballot, but the state Supreme Court ruled that the measure was unconstitutional.
Campaign manager Crista Eggers said the group will keep trying.
“There was never a question that we would come back for a third time,” Eggers said in a statement.
“This issue is not one we can give up on; it’s people’s lives we are fighting for.”