Advocates for medical cannabis access in Nebraska are making their “final plea,” as their petition campaign reports needing 12,000 more signatures before the July 3 turn-in deadline.
With less than two days left, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) Campaign Manager Crista Eggers tells KLIN News they’re still in the game, but “we are down to the absolute wire.”
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana
To make it on the ballot, NMM needs to submit at least 87,000 verified voter signatures for two petitions, respectively, by 5 p.m. on July 3rd to the Secretary of States Office. The first petition establishes the doctor-patient system for medical cannabis in Nebraska, and the other establishes regulations for the industry.
Nebraska residents interested in signing can do so in person at the Wine, Beer and Spirits stores in Lincoln, Omaha, and Grand Island, Monday and Tuesday during their open hours. Additionally, Lincoln residents can sign at the IBEW #265 — 1409 Old Farm Road, and Omaha residents can sign at the “She’s Electable Office” on 7601 Pacific Street.
Nebraska is one of three states in the U.S. without any legalized access to medical cannabis, joined by Kansas and Idaho. The herb has been approved as a valid treatment method for a varying list of conditions, such as severe and chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, severe nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatment, epilepsy and seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV/AIDS, and more.
While Eggers serves as campaign manager, this effort for medical cannabis legalization is personal for her, as her her 10-year-old son struggles with epilepsy and severe seizures.
This is NMM’s third attempt to put the issue before voters, after the first attempt in 2020 collected enough signatures and met the 38 of 93 county qualification requirement, but was thwarted by a split court decision due to the single subject requirements, and the second initiative in 2022 collected over many signatures but failed to meet the county qualification requirements.
“In the state of Nebraska, if you don’t have millions upon millions of dollars, its very difficult — downright almost impossible — to gather the necessary signatures and qualify for the ballot. I think that should make people very, very upset. This is an issue that is supported by 81% of people all across the state, and it has just been so difficult to get this done. But there is time left,” said Eggers.
The campaign derives some optimism from the unknown amount of signatures collected by citizens who personally requested a petition, persumably collecting a relatively small amount of signatures from close friends and family. While this personal effort may appear small, Eggers holds that every signatures counts, recalling a county qualification that failed by one (1) singular signature during a previous effort.
“There’s a lot of power we have in this state to take things to the ballot that are important and that Nebraskans want to fight for. We have that ability right here, and it is people’s constitutional right to get out and petition their government… and that’s what people need to do over the next two days… ‘Democracy-in-Action’ is a real thing,” said Eggers.
Eggers says she’s shed her title as campaign manager for this plea, and is asking Nebraskans to sign as the mother of a suffering son, who’s condition can be treated with medical cannabis.
“If I lived in one of 47 other states in this country, he would have access to this medicine… But because my family has made Nebraska home, because we have stayed here, that isn’t an option,” Eggers made clear.
Past efforts from NMM have brought the ire of certain Nebraska lawmakers, namely former Governor and current U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts, who said in 2021 “If you legalize marijuana, you’re going to kill your kids.”
KLIN asked Eggers what her message would be to Nebraska lawmakers who have opposed medical cannabis, if the petition campaign were to fall short for a third time.
“The blood of my child is on their hands, and I hope that they can live with that the rest of their lives. Year after year, patients in this state go to the state capitol and plead for compassionate medical cannabis legislation, for their hurting loved ones… and year after year, we go back with our children a little bit older and a little bit sicker, and the door is shut in our face. Now we’ve gone to the ballot three times. Three times. And if it’s not enough this time, I don’t think anything is. And to be quite honest, at that point, why would I even stay in this state? They have failed my child, and they have failed so many,” Eggers said.
Inversely, if 3rd time’s the charm and Nebraskans are able to vote for medical cannabis in November:
“They still failed. But the people rose above it and they showed the opposition that this is important, we should have access, and the people want this.”
The Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana said their polling in 2022 showed that 80% of registered voters were in favor of legalization.
Eggers concluded with a story: While most kid’s bedtime routine consist of a story-book reading, Egger’s son Colton has asked his mom every night for the last five years, “Mommy, did we get enough signatures to get the medicine?”
“I have had no greater hope or prayer than to be able to tell him on July 3, ‘Buddy, we got it. We’re going to get people the medicine.’ I need to be able to tell him that. I need to be able to tell him that. Begging and pleading isn’t below me. On the other end of the interview, I’m a mom who has given my life to this effort to see this through, and I’ve learned it means so much to so many Nebraskans,” Eggers said, her voice cracking.
Finishing on a hopeful note, Eggers said “I’m ready,” for people to show up and sign, patriotically noting this signature deadline on the eve of July 4th.
For more information on NMM, visit nebraskamarijuana.org.
NMM signature collection desk. (Courtesy: Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana)