Recent polls have shown that Nebraskans are ready to embrace legal medical marijuana, yet a campaign to enact the reform needs more signatures as the July 3 turn-in deadline looms.
According to Crista Eggers, campaign manager of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM), they're still in the game, but "we are down to the absolute wire." That said, she urged the community to join the effort, emphasizing that they still need 12,000 more signatures to reach the goal.
For the initiative to appear on the ballot NMM has to submit 87,000 verified voter signatures at least for two petitions to the Secretary of States Office.
The first petition would require lawmakers to pass laws protecting physicians who recommend medical cannabis and patients who use it. The second would impose legislation to set up rules for the medical cannabis program.
Read Also: Nebraska Senate Hopeful And Union Leader At First Says No, But Then Opens Up About Trying Marijuana
Following two failed attempts in 2020 and again in 2022 to place the measure on the ballot, the third time might be the charm. Why?
Eggers says support for cannabis reform is there.
"This [medical cannabis legalization] is an issue that is supported by 81% of people all across the state," she said, adding that "it has just been so difficult to get this done. But there is time left."
Eggers explained why it has been hard to reach the signature threshold to bring the issue before voters.
"In the state of Nebraska, if you don't have millions upon millions of dollars, it’s very difficult — downright almost impossible — to gather the necessary signatures and qualify for the ballot," Eggers told KLIN News. "I think that should make people very, very upset."
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