Medical marijuana backers turn in petition signatures, confident Nebraskans will get to vote on issue

July 3, 2020
AggregatedNews
Nebraska
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LINCOLN — At times, everything, including a pandemic, seemed stacked against advocates of medical marijuana in Nebraska.

But Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana celebrated Thursday as they turned in more than 182,000 petition signatures, gathered from all 93 Nebraska counties, to the Secretary of State’s Office.

That’s enough signatures to make it likely that their petition will succeed in getting a proposed constitutional amendment before voters in November. If passed, the measure would give Nebraskans the right to use medical cannabis for serious medical conditions, subject to “reasonable laws, rules and regulations.”

State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, who led the petition drive, said she was confident that supporters had enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot and “even more confident” that voters would pass the measure. She credited an “unbelievable grassroots effort” for getting the petition this far.

“Families with loved ones suffering from conditions like epilepsy, PTSD and cancer have fought for years to make medical cannabis safely accessible,” she said. “Today represents a huge step forward for thousands of Nebraskans who deserve compassion.”

Shelley Gillen of Bellevue, a leader in that grassroots effort, described the day as “surreal” and “emotional” and said it would be topped only by “that day in November when we get to check the box.” [Read More @ Omaha.com]

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