Nebraska senators debate how to implement medical cannabis; commission, enforcement and access divide lawmakers

Lincoln — Nebraska senators spent the afternoon debating LB677 and a 122‑page committee amendment (AM1251) that would implement the medical cannabis measures voters approved last year, centering the fight on who should write rules and how tightly to restrict access.

Supporters of the bill, led on the floor by sponsor Senator John Hansen, said AM1251 is a narrow, regulated approach that protects patients and public safety while giving doctors and dispensaries clear guardrails. "This is a very restrictive, safe approach to get medical cannabis into the right hands of the right people," Hansen said on the floor.

Opponents, led by Senator Mark Storm, argued the ballot initiatives themselves gave primary regulatory authority to a newly created Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission and that the Legislature should not pre‑empt or substantially alter the voters’ design. "The legislative branch, including voters through ballot initiatives, has wide discretion on the level of detail needed in setting standards," Storm told colleagues as he urged delay.

The committee that handled the bill, General Affairs, adopted AM1251 on a 5–3 committee vote and sent the measure to the floor. The amendment narrows the ballot initiative’s broad 5‑ounce possession allowance by specifying that no more than 2 ounces of that total may be in the form of dried flower, lists 15 qualifying medical conditions (from a Nebraska Medical Association…