Nebraskan Advocates Push for Medical Marijuana on November Ballot

In a race against time, Nebraskan Crista Eggers is leading a campaign to place an initiative on the state’s November ballot that would legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The deadline for Eggers and her team to gather at least 87,000 signatures on each of the two petitions is July 3. The initiative is deeply personal for Eggers, whose son Colton suffers from epilepsy and severe seizures, conditions that could potentially be treated with medicinal cannabis.

Eggers, an Omaha resident and campaign manager for Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, is joined by 25 paid staff members and 200 volunteers in the effort. Despite previous setbacks, including a failed ballot initiative in 2020 due to a court ruling and a second attempt in 2022 that was hampered by the loss of a major donor, Eggers remains optimistic about the current campaign's chances.

The push to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska reflects a broader trend across the United States. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia currently allow the medical use of cannabis products, while 24 states plus the District of Columbia have legalized adult recreational use. The legalization efforts in Nebraska, however, face significant legislative opposition. Eggers' initiative seeks to circumvent this opposition by directly appealing to voters through the ballot initiative process.

The campaign's success hinges not only on gathering the required number of signatures but also on overcoming the stigma associated with marijuana use, particularly in conservative states like Nebraska. Despite these challenges, Eggers believes that the issue has widespread support in the state, with the primary obstacle being a lack of funding to support the signature collection process.

If successful, the initiative would mark a significant shift in Nebraska's stance on marijuana, moving the state from one of only three where all cannabis products are illegal to one that allows for the medicinal use of marijuana. The outcome of this campaign could have implications not just for Nebraska, but for the broader conversation about marijuana legalization across the United States.