The Nebraska Medical Pot Initiative does not qualify for the vote

A bid to get a medicinal cannabis proposal in the Nebraska vote this year officially fell through on Monday.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana said that Secretary of State Bob Evnen “announced that our efforts to ease the pain of so many suffering Nebrascans did not meet the minimum requirements for verified signatures to get into the November election.”

“To say we are devastated would be an understatement,” the campaign said in an announcement on Facebook. “Suffering Nebrascans should never have to face having to leave themselves or their families from the state they call home just to access medical care.”

The group submitted more than 184,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office last month, less than an hour before the filing deadline.

Indeed, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana pursued what it described as “two complementary initiatives” for the state vote: The Patient Protection Act would have enshrined the protection of patients with “serious health conditions and their caregivers from arrest for the recommended use of medical cannabis by a healthcare provider.” , while the Medical Cannabis Regulation Act would have “established the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate private companies supplying medicinal cannabis to qualified patients.”

Neither will be on the Cornhusker State ballot this November.

The Associated Press reports, “Each proposal required nearly 87,000 signatures — or 7% of registered voters combined — and 5% of registered voters in at least 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties to put the proposals to the people’s vote. The Patient Protection Initiative collected 77,843 valid signatures, and the 5% threshold was only reached in 26 counties, Evnen said. This proposal would have legalized the use of up to 5 ounces of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The cannabis regulation initiative collected 77,119 signatures and the 5% threshold was reached in 27 counties. It would have legalized the possession, manufacture, distribution, supply and sale of medicinal marijuana and established a commission to regulate a state medicinal cannabis program.”

Monday’s news marks an expected conclusion to a turbulent medical marijuana campaign for Nebraskans.

In March, the group announced it was struggling for funds after two people expected to make important contributions were unable to support the campaign due to extenuating circumstances.

“I would say devastating is an understatement,” Crista Eggers, one of the group’s spokespersons and leaders, said at the time. “We ask for your help.”

“If we needed courage, drive and determination, then we have it,” added Eggers. “Our campaign would always be terminated if we needed that. But what our campaign unfortunately doesn’t have – and must have – is money.”

Eggers was involved in the campaign for personal reasons: her son, Colton, has epilepsy but cannot receive medicinal cannabis treatment in her home state.

“We have received so much support from individuals across the state who are supporting the many patients, like our son Colton, who desperately need access to this drug. Regardless of your political background, we should all agree that criminalizing a drug that has the potential to alleviate suffering is both cruel and inhumane,” Eggers said during the campaign launch last year. “The current policy does not reflect our family values ​​here in Nebraska and we will change that. We need everyone who believes in compassion for suffering people like my son to be part of this movement and help us win 2022.”

Despite the setback in raising funds, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana managed to collect thousands of signatures and submit its petitions just before the deadline last month, which the group hailed as evidence of the organizers’ resilience.

But this sense of triumph was short-lived. Now, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana says it’s targeting 2024.

“When we get the results from the Secretary of State’s office, we will analyze the data and then get to work immediately to qualify for the 2024 election,” the group said Monday.