Nebraska State Sen. Anna Wishart has introduced legislation that would allow voters to decide on whether to approve a constitutional amendment permitting medical cannabis access in the state, according to an Omaha World-Herald report. Wishart proposed legislation to legalize cannabis last year, however, the measure failed to gain traction in the legislature.
“Tens of thousands of Nebraskans are needlessly suffering because they don’t have access to medical cannabis, including veterans, children and the terminally ill. Nebraska leaders have failed to act and provide these Nebraskans and their doctors the freedom to make decisions for their patients, without fear.” – Wishart, to the World-Herald
According to the report, it takes 30 votes from lawmakers to get a constitutional amendment measure on state ballots. In 2016, a broad medical cannabis proposal failed to advance coming three votes short of breaking a filibuster by opponents.
Wishart’s 2017 measure would have set up a smokeless medical cannabis program, providing medical cannabis access for patients with 19 conditions, including seizures, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, opioid addition and “any other illness for which medical cannabis provides relief as determined by the participating health care practitioner,” according to the bill text.
Law enforcement officials in the state have taken a hardline stance on medical cannabis, including CBD. In September, the state Attorney General’s Office and Nebraska State Patrol sent a letter to county attorneys and law enforcement advising them that CBD products are illegal.