Activists are continuously working to collect signatures for two separate measures to legalize medical cannabis in Nebraska. However, Governor Pete Ricketts, R, who remains staunchly opposed to legalization of any kind, took his own approach. Partnering with SAM Nebraska, Governor Ricketts created a 30 second long anti-legalization ad that began airing on local TV stations at the beginning of December.
SAM Nebraska, a subsidiary of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), spent $500,000 on an ad saying there is no such thing as medical cannabis. “The only difference between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana is word choice,” Governor Ricketts explained. “Doctors can’t prescribe it and pharmacists can’t provide it because it’s not medicine.”
Therefore, medical cannabis legalization is a why for the cannabis industry to create a Trojan Horse and push for recreational legalization, according to Ricketts. “Today the marijuana industry has set its sights on Nebraska. And the real goal is the legalization of recreational marijuana across the state,” he added. “We’ve seen what happens when progressive politics trump science and common sense. That can’t happen. It’s up to us to protect our kids and defend our communities. Big Marijuana’s way is the wrong way for Nebraska.”
Opposition
Activists and lawmakers began speaking out against Governor Ricketts and SAM Nebraska’s ad shortly after it aired. State Senator Adam Morfeld, D, is a co-chair of the pro-reform group Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM). He took to Twitter to blast Ricketts for “running $500,000 in anti medical marijuana ads across the state.” Senator Morfeld also tweeted previous article titles of Governor Ricketts claiming that medical cannabis will “kill your children.”
“No amount of money will change the fact that over 70 percent of Nebraskans from across the political spectrum support the legalization of medical marijuana,” added Morefeld.
Senator Anna Wishart, D, sits as NMM’s other co-chair. Previously, she worked to push for medical cannabis legalization through the state’s unicameral chamber in the 2021 regular session. However, her bill failed following a filibuster by opposing lawmakers before the regular session ended. Now, her efforts are towards pushing for the NMM ballot measure. She took to Facebook regarding voter concerns about the negative ad campaigns from Governor Ricketts.
“There is no amount of negative advertising or dark money spent in opposition to our campaign that outweighs the grassroots support of this issue from Nebraskans across our state who come from all walks of life and every political party…Now let’s go collect some signatures!” she rallied.
Next Steps
Medical cannabis legalization may be in front of voters in November 2022. The governor position will also be up for election. Governor Ricketts has reached his term limit, so he is unable to run for office again. Activists suspect cannabis will be a hot topic during the campaign for the next governor of Nebraska. And voters are going to pay attention. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest.
Make sure to check back for more cannabis, hemp, and psychedelic related news.