Nebraska state medical cannabis regulators on Monday authorized the first state-licensed cultivator to plant the first marijuana crop, nearly 19 months after voters legalized medical cannabis at the ballot.
The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission on Monday voted unanimously to ratify the successful inspection of Mah?Mot? Cultivation Co., the first licensed medical marijuana cultivator approved to start growing, the Nebraska Examiner reported.
The four-member commission, which began meeting last June, spent the past year building out a regulatory framework for the state’s limited-license industry, the Examiner reported.
Though the first harvest could be ready by the fall, regulators haven’t updated a tentative date of spring 2027 for the first sale.
But not every licensed grower is advancing at the same pace
Are other Nebraska cannabis cultivators making progress?
Under state law, cannabis business opportunities in Nebrasks are strictly limited to:
- Four cultivators
- Four product manufacturers
- 12 dispensaries
Patients are forbidden from obtaining or possessing raw cannabis. Cannabis edibles, as well as cannabis that can be smoked or vaporized, are illegal.
KRL Med, owned by former state Sen. Kent Rogert, remains blocked by a zoning dispute in Washington County.
Days before a scheduled May 26 inspection, the county’s planning and zoning administrator told the company it couldn’t use an agricultural exemption to grow marijuana, though hemp would qualify, according to the Examiner.
KRL Med is now appealing a stop-work order that bars the company from finishing a greenhouse or accessing the property.
“Every day that goes by, we’re losing time and availability,” Rogert told commissioners, as reported by the Examiner.
The commission voted 4-0 to renew KRL Med’s license for six more months.
The state’s two other cultivators face their own hurdles.
Meadowlark Medicinals delayed its inspection without giving a reason, while Midwest Cultivator Group won commission approval to relocate from Omaha to Gretna after running into shifting zoning requirements, according to the Examiner.
Gretna officials have approved a conditional-use permit.
What’s happening with other cannabis license types?
The commission also voted 3-1 to open applications Wednesday for product manufacturers, with up to four licenses available under agency regulations. Commissioners plan to solicit applications over the next four weeks and collect fees once they can assess them.
“I’m just very concerned about waiting that much longer,” said Commissioner Jim Elworth, who made the motion, according to the Examiner.
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A key piece of the framework still hangs in the balance.
Permanent regulations await the signature of Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who opposes medical cannabis and hasn’t yet signed off.
Gov. Jim Pillen would also need to approve them for the rules to take effect without an expiration date.
The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for July 20.
