The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission has updated its permanent regulations with new licensing fees, product-tracking requirements and transportation rules as the state works to launch its voter-approved medical marijuana program.
The changes were approved Monday during the commission’s first meeting since Gov. Jim Pillen signed off on the permanent regulations.
Under the updated rules, businesses seeking to participate in Nebraska’s medical marijuana industry would be required to pay a $5,000 application fee. Cultivators and manufacturers would then pay an additional $20,000 licensing fee, while dispensaries would pay $15,000. Medical marijuana transporters would be required to obtain both a certificate and license at a cost of $10,000. Annual renewal fees would be higher than the initial licensing fees.
Existing license holders would also be required to pay $13,000 by Feb. 1 to participate in the state’s mandatory inventory-tracking system. The system is intended to allow regulators to follow medical marijuana products as they move through cultivation, manufacturing, transportation and retail sales. The updated regulations will now be reviewed by the commission’s attorney.
Commission Chairwoman Lorelle Mueting said additional work remains before patients can begin receiving medical marijuana through the program.
“Building a new regulatory agency is much like constructing a house,” Mueting said. “Before patients can receive services, the commission must first build the foundation.”
Nebraska voters approved separate medical marijuana initiatives in November 2024. One measure legalized the possession and use of up to 5 ounces of marijuana with a health care practitioner’s recommendation, while the other created the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate the industry.
The commission has faced criticism from patients and advocates over the pace of implementation. However, commissioners only recently received additional authority needed to operate the agency.
Lawmakers approved legislation in April allowing the commission to hire employees and collect fees to pay for its operations.
Commissioners also received updates Monday from current license holders, including Kent Rogert, who represents cultivator KRL Med LLC.
Rogert said the company’s operations had been suspended because of a dispute involving agricultural products allowed under a Washington County permit. He said the company has since resolved the issue with county officials and expects to be ready for a commission inspection by its next meeting on Aug. 17.
The commission also extended its deadline for accepting medical marijuana manufacturing applications from July 20 to Aug. 17, saying it had not received a sufficient number of applications.
Representatives from Ogre Village and Sweetwater Cannabis Company attended Monday’s meeting and asked whether the commission had received applications they previously submitted. Both companies provided hard copies of their applications during the meeting.
During public comment, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana Executive Director Crista Eggers asked commissioners to include protections for health care practitioners who recommend medical marijuana.
Eggers said some practitioners remain concerned that recommending marijuana could expose them to lawsuits or other legal consequences. She also urged the commission to take a more active role in getting the program operational.
“There is a widespread belief that this commission, which is responsible for implementing this program, does not want it to succeed,” Eggers said. “Choosing not to spearhead this is going to continue to support this narrative.”
