The Supreme Court has blocked the Nebraska Medical Bill Initiative from making it to the November ballots of 2020. This was done following a legal challenge filed by the Sheriff of Lancaster County, Nebraska, Terry Wagner.

Sheriff Terry Wagner had implied that the legalization proposal had violated the states single-subject rule required for ballot initiatives. Under this rule, any voter initiative or proposed legislative change cannot contain more than one focal point for voters approval.

According to attorneys of the plaintiff, the initiative is making provisions for a number of issues, which automatically disqualifies it from contesting for the ballots.

The initiative includes provisions on patient access, retail and distribution of medical marijuana, which expands the number of subjects to almost eight. This number is patently well beyond the legal limit implied by the single-subject rule of the Nebraskan legislation.

Although the state had rejected this opposition by Sheriff Terry Wagner, the Supreme Court has announced its verdict in favor of this dissent. If voters are to intelligently adopt a State policy with regard to medicinal cannabis use, they must first be allowed to decide that issue alone, unencumbered by other subjects, the justices wrote.

The Nebraska Medical Marijuana Initiative had proposed a number of constitutional amendments for the state.

Under the provisions, the purchase and use of medical marijuana usage for adults 18 years or older was to become legal. Patients below this age could still gain access to the drug by approval from licensed physicians or nurses. Legal guardians or parents of underage minor patients could also administer the drug to them after the physicians permission.

In addition to this, the bill had also proposed state legislatures to pass laws that would ensure safety of medical marijuana users. Laws for ensuring compliance with the legislation were also proposed to be devised by regulatory bodies.

Before getting challenged in the Supreme court, the bill had secured about 200,000 signatures for getting listed in the November ballots. This amount was well beyond the 121,699 signatures that were required to qualify it for the initiative.

It is important to note that these signatures were collected amidst the coronavirus pandemic. This signature drive included a truly impressive feat of grassroots mobilization. We would not have crossed the finish line without the tireless efforts of advocates, patients, families, volunteers, and hardworking Nebraskans who believe in this cause, said Senator Anna Wishart after resuming the signature collection drive which was halted temporarily due to the pandemic.

States like Oklahoma had to stop their legalization petitions midway due to a difficulty in gathering enough signatures. By crossing this huge obstruction, Nebraskans had surely proven their enthusiasm for the approval of the bill.

A marijuana advocacy group named Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana expressed disappointment at the removal of the initiative from the ballot.

Senator Adam Morfeld and Anna Wishart were also among those who were dismayed by the Supreme Courts verdict. But the duo still expressed commitment to their cause by stating a come back with new legislation and provisions.

Supporters of Nebraska Medical Bill Initiative argued that with this ruling of the Supreme Court, medical marijuana patients will suffer. They will be classified as criminals under current laws as a consequence of consuming marijuana to get relief from their respective ailments.

Governor Pete Ricketts has never shied away from expressing his opposition towards marijuana reforms.In January, he addressed Nebraskans in an article and detailed the drawbacks of the drug.

Listing the social costs of marijuana legalization, he had expressed concerns for the safety and well-being of the people. As Governor, I have a duty to promote public safety. I want Nebraskans to be informed of the dangers of marijuana and to know where I stand on the issue, he wrote.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana has their affiliate in Nebraska. The national anti-legalization group congratulated their counterpart on the Supreme Courts verdict. President of SAM, Kevin Sabet is in favor of a cannabis research bill calle HR 3797.

According to him, legalization of medical marijuana should wait before there is enough research to back its benefits. He believes that medicine should be kept away from politics and voting.

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