Two legislators in Nebraska have announced plans to put medical marijuana on the ballot in 2020 if lawmakers don’t pass a medical marijuana law in the session due to begin in January 2019.
State Senators Adam Morfeld and Anna Wishart announced that they had formed a group, Nebraskans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, to campaign and gather signatures for a ballot measure on medical marijuana.
The two legislators from Lincoln said that their campaign would be similar to what forced the issue in Utah, Oklahoma and Missouri during the recent midterm elections.
Wishart said that they were forced to register this committee after being frustrated by the inaction of the legislative arm in recent times.
The legislature in Nebraska is nonpartisan, but it is dominated by Republicans. Recent attempts to legalize medical cannabis have been blocked by these Republicans who cite different reasons for their actions.
First, they claimed that legalizing medical cannabis is a ruse to allow recreational use in the state. Secondly, some claimed that the medicinal benefits of cannabis are unproven, so there is no reason to pass enabling legislation over unsubstantiated claims.
Attorney General Doug Peterson and Governor Pete Ricketts are also opposed to the legalization of medical cannabis. That notwithstanding, Wishart plans to table another bill in the coming session as a final step before she calls on voters to have their say if the legislature blocks her bill.
This will not be the first time that voters in Nebraska are called upon to bypass the lawmakers on an issue. In 2014, a ballot measure resulted in an increase of the minimum wage after legislators rejected a bill on the matter. In November this year, voters again approved a ballot measure to expand Medicaid in the state when legislators were unwilling to do so. Before that, capital punishment was reinstated in 2015 through a ballot measure.
The two Lincoln legislators will not be on their own as they gather signatures to put medical marijuana on the ballot. The pair will have the support and the resources of the Marijuana Policy Project.
This non-profit was instrumental in the success of similar ballot measures in Utah, Maine, Nevada, Michigan and Massachusetts. The group feels that it is inhumane to regard the patients who can benefit from medical marijuana as criminals.
The Marijuana Policy Project also believes that their campaign in Nebraska will be successful. After all, the people there already support the proposal to legalize medical marijuana. ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX) and Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) hope that the people, who are the final beneficiaries of medical cannabis, will be at the center of any discussions regarding whether or not to legalize medical cannabis in the state.
More from CannabisNewsWire
About CannabisNewsWire
CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.
To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information please visit https://www.cannabisnewswire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer
CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.cannabisnewswire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com
