Gov. Pillen Commits Administrative and Resource Support for Medical Cannabis Commission as it Begins its Regulatory Work  

LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced his intentions to provide administrative support and resources to the newly-created Medical Cannabis Commission through the Policy Research Office and Department of Administrative Services, consistent with the support those agencies provide to other agencies during the regulatory process.  The Commission was created through voter approval of two statutory initiatives related to medical marijuana in November 2024. Initiative 437 enacted a statute known as the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection Act (“Patient Protection Act”), now codified at Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 71-24,103 to 71-24,105, and Initiative 438 enacted a statute known as the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation Act (“Regulation Act”), now codified at Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 71-24,106 – 71-24,111. Under the Regulation Act, the three members of the Liquor Control Commission shall be ex officio members of the Commission, and two more members are appointed by the Governor.

“I have appointed two experienced, well-qualified individuals to the Medical Cannabis Commission, who will ensure this new industry is strongly regulated to the letter of the law the people of Nebraska enacted,” said Gov. Pillen. “I urge the Legislature to promptly confirm them so they can take up the urgent work of writing strong and effective ‘rules of the road’ for the medical cannabis industry.”

With support from the Policy Research Office, the Department of Administrative Services, and other agencies, as necessary, the Medical Cannabis Commission is fully enabled to meet and carry out its responsibilities under the Patient Protection Act and the Regulation Act to meet its milestone dates of July 1 and October 1. With the operational funding already appropriated to the Medical Cannabis Commission and the statutory financial authority of the Department of Administrative Services, the Commission will have all the financial resources it needs to effectively function under current law.