Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana launch signature drive for two new initiatives

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana spent Saturday in downtown Lincoln and in the Haymarket collecting signatures to put medical marijuana on the 2022 November ballot after the initiative failed multiple times in the past.

This time around, the campaign group is collecting signatures for two different initiatives legalizing medical marijuana.

The reason for two initiatives instead of one is to simplify them, following the single subject rule outlined by the Nebraska Supreme Court.

The first initiative requires patients to have a written recommendation from a licensed health care provider to use medical marijuana for health conditions.

The second initiative protects manufacturing businesses, allowing them to distribute medical marijuana to people who qualify.

More than 250 volunteers with Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana were out gathering signatures from Nebraska voters ahead of Saturday’s game, including state senators Adam Morefeld and Anna Wishart.

“A lot of people feel personally let down by this being kicked off of the ballot last year. So, there is a fire in a lot of Nebraskans to seek us out and come sign. Not only that, they want to volunteer and support,” said Sen. Wishart.

The committee said they’re hopeful and positive they’ll receive the required amount of signatures from voters on both initiatives this time around.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana will need to collect 87,000 signatures each on both petitions. They’ll need to be turned in to the Secretary of State by July 7, 2022 to see it on the November 2022 ballot.

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