'Absolute failure': Medical cannabis regulatory bill stalls in Nebraska Legislature
Source: Nebraska Examiner
Vote leaves implementation to a potentially hostile Medical Cannabis Commission
By: Zach Wendling - May 20, 2025 11:50 pm
LINCOLN — A legislative proposal seeking to help implement Nebraska’s voter-approved medical cannabis laws failed Tuesday, facing a tougher floor fight than four years ago despite widespread support in November.
The latest measure, Legislative Bill 677, failed to garner the 33 votes needed to shut off a filibuster, with the bipartisan effort to stop debate falling 23-22. The regulatory push secured the support of eight Republicans, 14 Democrats and one nonpartisan progressive in the officially nonpartisan 49-member body (State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, the only other Democrat, was absent from the final vote but had supported the bill).
Republican State Sens. John Arch of La Vista, Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln and Merv Riepe of Ralston declined to take a position and were “present, not voting.”
State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, a Republican with a Libertarian bent who sponsored LB 677, sought to appeal to his conservative colleagues that “on a limb,” everyone could agree that medical cannabis could at least help someone.
Crista Eggers of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, center, leads a news conference urging legislative support for bills to help implement a safe, fully regulated medical cannabis system. March 3, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/05/20/absolute-failure-medical-cannabis-regulatory-bill-stalls-in-nebraska-legislature/