A Nebraska legislative committee has given approval to legislation that would significantly narrow the scope of a medical marijuana legalization initiative approved by voters in November.
The measure, passed Thursday by the General Affairs Committee in a 5 to 3 vote, imposes restrictions that go beyond what was outlined in the citizen-backed initiative.
The bill limits access to patients with only 15 specific medical conditions, excluding PTSD and several other commonly cited uses. It also bans smoking marijuana, despite the initiative allowing possession of up to five ounces of flower. Under the bill, patients would be restricted to edibles, tinctures, vapes, and a limited selection of non-smokable flower products.
Committee Chair Senator Rick Holdcroft said the bill reflects a compromise between lawmakers with opposing views on smoking. “We had three members who wouldn’t vote for anything that didn’t allow smoking and you had three members who said, if there’s smoking in it, I’m not voting for it,” he said.
Senator Jared Storm, one of the three no votes, said advancing the bill undermines the legal process.
“If we put out a bill, we’ve essentially legalized medical marijuana, and the ballot initiative doesn’t mean anything”, he said.
