Senators in Nebraska recently held a meeting to discuss a newly filed legislation that would legalize medical cannabis in the state. The lawmakers spent the hearing listening to testimonies from experts and advocates on the therapeutic benefits of the cannabis plant.
The members of the Judiciary Committee discussed a medical cannabis bill that was filed by Senator Anna Wishart nearly a month ago, before meeting later in the day to discuss separate measures that would legalize recreational cannabis in the state. Wishart has been at the forefront of cannabis reform in Nebraska for several years now, pursuing this reform through both activist-led ballot campaigns and legislative avenues.
Her medical cannabis bill would allow patients suffering from certain medical conditions to use cannabis for medical purposes with a doctor’s recommendation. Wishart has stated that her measure is one of the most conservative medical marijuana bills in the country and that it would allow patients in Nebraska to access the medical care they deserve. She noted that growing evidence had proven marijuana’s ability to alleviate conditions such as seizures and chronic pain. Furthermore, she added that medical cannabis would help address the need for opioid use as it has proven to be an effective pain killer, without the side effects typically associated with opioid use.
Her bill would have created a medical cannabis system that allowed patients to buy and possess up to two and a half ounces of cannabis if they were suffering from any of the stipulated eligible conditions. The qualifying medical conditions include chronic pain, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy and cancer. The legislation would also ban smoking cannabis and home growing for patients with qualifying conditions.
At the recent medical cannabis hearing, Wishart stated that her goal was to prevent families that needed medical cannabis treatments from leaving Nebraska to go to other states with medical cannabis markets. She noted that her bill had already been amended to address concerns that had been raised during the last session, such as eliminating provisions that allowed vaping or smoking cannabis.
Wishart added that she was willing to make the legislation even narrower as long as it remained centered on patients who needed medical cannabis.
However, state Attorney General Mike Hilgers opposed the legislation and testified that launching a medical cannabis market would be in direct conflict with the federal prohibition of cannabis. The legislation also received opposition from a Nebraska State Patrol representative who said passing the medical cannabis bill would encourage the growth of an illicit market and increase rates of impaired driving in the state.
If the measures gain eventual approval, companies that wish to participate in the industry could find themselves needing funding from the likes of REZYFi Inc. or other entities that have created a niche around meeting the financing needs of marijuana companies in the absence of access to mainstream banks.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to REZYFi Inc. are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/REZY
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