After eight years of failed efforts, advocates for legalizing medical cannabis try again in the Legislature

Advocates for legalizing cannabis for medical use are trying again in 2023, despite at least eight years of setbacks in Nebraska.

“There is one thing we will not do, and that is give up,” said Crista Eggers of Gretna, whose son suffers from intractable epileptic seizures.

The first proposal in the Nebraska Legislature to legalize marijuana for medicinal use was defeated eight years ago, when a bill introduced by Bellevue Sen. Tommy Garrett was blocked.

Other similar legislation has failed, but in 2020, a medical marijuana ballot initiative was headed to almost certain victory before it was tossed off the ballot by the Nebraska Supreme Court for violating the state’s “single subject” rule for such initiatives.

Despite those disappointments, another effort was launched Tuesday with the introduction of Legislative Bill 588, the “Medicinal Cannabis Act,” by State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, a leading advocate.

Wishart said LB 588 is “one of the most conservative medical cannabis bills in the nation” and is being introduced amid “growing evidence” that marijuana has medicinal values for reducing seizures and relieving pain and that it can help reduce use of opioids.

‘Long past time’

“It is long past time that Nebraskans have access to a far safer alternative medicine,” the senator said.

[Read more at Nebraska Examiner]