Nebraska medical marijuana bills would allow vertical integration with license caps

Medical marijuana license caps, including no more than 10 vertically integrated businesses statewide, could be coming to Nebraska when the state starts accepting business applications later this year – if legislation introduced this week becomes law.

Three lawmakers introduced similar bills that would implement a voter-approved medical marijuana law, according to the Nebraska Examiner, even as the ballot initiative still faces a challenge in the courts – plus a fourth bill that would water down a Nebraska MMJ market by banning flower and severely restricting the amount of allowable THC.

Nearly 70% of state voters cast ballots in favor of Initiative Measures 437 and 438 on Election Day despite a legal challenge involving state officials seeking to disqualify the measures.

A judge tossed that lawsuit, although a former state senator is still seeking to undo MMJ legalization via the courts.

In the meantime, the state Medical Cannabis Commission is required to set rules for businesses by July 1, with the first licenses available by October.

As the Nebraska Examiner reported, three lawmakers this week introduced bills that create a patient registry program similar to those seen in other states.

According to the Nebraska Examiner, Legislative Bill 651, LB 677 and LB 705 would create a patient registry program similar to those seen in other states and establish separate MMJ license classes.

Those license classes would be:

LB 483, introduced Jan. 21 by Nebraska state Sen. Jared Storm, a self-described conservative Republican, would limit medical marijuana patient options to “cannabis in the form of a pill or liquid tincture,” according to the bill’s language.