Nebraska Lawmaker Announces Plans for Another Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill

Nebraska Sen. Anna Wishart isn’t giving up on medical cannabis legalization in her state.

Wishart tweeted her intentions Nov. 6, saying, “Next session I will bring another bill to legalize medical cannabis in Nebraska. Growing evidence shows benefits not only for reducing seizures and relieving pain, but it can lower the need for opioid use. It is past time Nebraskans have access to a safer alternative medicine.”

Nebraska’s 2023 legislative session is set to kick off Jan. 4.

Wishart backed a medical cannabis legalization bill last year that ultimately stalled.

Citizen-led efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Nebraska have also failed in recent years.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana collected the required number of signatures to get a medical cannabis legalization measure before voters in the 2020 election, only to have the Nebraska Supreme Court rule that the ballot initiative violated the single-subject rule outlined in the state’s Constitution.

The campaign regrouped, filed two new medical cannabis legalization initiatives with the Nebraska Secretary of State last year, and submitted more than 90,000 signatures to place the measures on the 2022 ballot, but the efforts came up short and state officials said the initiatives ultimately failed to meet the signature requirements to make the ballot this year.