Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Resigns Amid Unpopular Roll-out
- Dr. Monica Oldenburg resigned as Chair of the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission after about nine months, citing family and job commitments as reasons.
- Appointed by Governor Jim Pillen in April, Oldenburg was elected chair in June but missed meetings in December and January before stepping down.
- Commissioner Lorelle Mueting was named interim chair following Oldenburg’s resignation by a vote of the remaining commissioners.
- Advocates have criticized the commission’s proposed medical cannabis regulations as overriding voter intent, and a new bill would grant the commission more regulatory power, raising further concerns.
Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Dr. Monica Oldenburg announced her resignation on Monday after just about nine months on the job, the Nebraska Examiner reports.
Dr. Oldenburg, an anesthesiologist, was appointed to the commission by Gov. Jim Pillen (R) last April, and she was elected to lead the body in June.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of the State of Nebraska on the Medical Cannabis Commission. Unfortunately, due to commitments with my family and my job as a physician, I am unable to adequately commit the time needed for this volunteer position.” — Oldenburg, in her resignation letter, via the Examiner
Oldenburg was not present during the commission’s monthly meetings in December or January, the report said.
Following Oldenburg’s resignation, the remaining four members voted to name Commissioner Lorelle Mueting as interim chair.
Meanwhile, advocates have largely rejected the Medical Cannabis Commission’s vision for Nebraska’s medical cannabis program. The agency’s proposed rules were heavily criticized during public comments last year as seeking to override the will of voters, but the commissioners declined to walk back any of the regulations.
A bill proposed this year would also allow the commission to write additional regulations around the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis law, a proposal advocates call “extremely concerning.”