Nebraska Misses Deadline to Issue Medical Marijuana Cultivation Licenses

According to the Medical Cannabis Commission (MCC), the delay stems from sudden resignations, leaving the commission without a functioning evaluation team. Two of the three members charged with scoring applications stepped down after Governor Jim Pillen requested their removal from the Liquor Control Commission, which automatically cost them their cannabis oversight roles. That left the commission unable to average scores for applicants. Chair Dr. Monica Oldenburg said the remaining members have now assigned themselves to carry out the review process, but the setback pushed the timeline past what state law requires.

The departures came amid broader turmoil at the Liquor Control Commission, where former executive director Hobert Rupe was recently taken into federal custody on fraud and extortion charges. Commissioners Bruce Bailey and Kim Lowe had both worked under Rupe before leaving their posts this week.

During Tuesday’s meeting, frustration boiled over. Crista Eggers, director of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, accused the commission of rewriting the law and stripping patients of rights approved by voters. Longtime advocate Dominic Gillen urged the remaining members to resign rather than serve as “political cover.”

State statute, enacted following the 2024 ballot initiatives, required the commission to start issuing registrations to eligible cultivators no later than October 1, 2025. The panel now says it will reconvene on October 7 to resume scoring applications and move forward with license awards.