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Nebraska Medical Marijuana Supporters Slam Restrictive Rules Proposed By Governor-Appointed Panel

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3 days ago

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“I feel like Nebraska wants to make it as uncomfortable and unbearable as possible.”

Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner

The green shirts filled a hearing room in Lincoln full of Nebraskans who support the legalization of medical cannabis but oppose the state’s new Medical Cannabis Commission’s proposed regulation of the product.

Thirty-two people testified against the proposed regulations on Wednesday. No one spoke up. Witnesses argued that the regulations would not be feasible for most people who need medical cannabis, and roughly half called on commissioners not to attend the hearing to hear their concerns.

“I feel like Nebraska wants to make it as uncomfortable and unbearable as possible,” said whistleblower Nathan Brown.

In the 2024 general election, 71% of Nebraska voters voted to legalize medical cannabis, and 67% voted to create a new regulatory commission. Since December, Nebraskans can legally possess up to 5 ounces of medical cannabis, as long as they have a prescription from a health care professional.

However, medical cannabis cannot yet be purchased legally in the state. Last week, again The Medical Cannabis Commission issued four of its cultivation licenses to Nancy Laughlin-Wagner of Omaha and Patrick Thomas of Raymond. Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Chief Legal Officer Bo Botelho said both licenses were approved.

In September, the commission advanced stricter regulations compared to the emergency regulations approved by the group in June. Gov. Jim Pillen (R) approved the new regulations with one revision Limit cultivators to grow more than 1,250 flower plants at one time

The revised regulations would, for the first time, impose extensive testing and safety requirements and establish a “Recommended Directory of Health Care Professionals” for doctors in the state to recommend medical cannabis. If approved, the rule would remain in effect for 90 days.

Under the regulations, patients or caregivers can purchase up to 5 ounces of medical cannabis within 30 days, which is about 142 grams. But they could not buy more than 5 grams of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from the same dispensary within 90 days. Delta-9 THC is the part of cannabis most commonly associated with a “high”.

Several witnesses said this limit was too restrictive. Testifier Shari Lawlor said a single joint typically weighs about a gram, so limiting people with medical needs to 5 grams of THC for 90 days is impractical.

State Sen. John Cavanaugh (D) of Omaha testified at the hearing that he went a step further and named a limit. a bold voter violation of the ballot language passed in Novemberwhich allowed him to hold five ounces.

The authors, to a large extent, agreed that the proposed regulation goes against what the voters asked for. Several argued that the people responsible for writing the regulations did not understand medical cannabis.

Crista Eggers, campaign manager for Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana initiatives, brought a large stack of papers representing the roughly 240,000 signatures collected between the two petitions as a visual example of the level of public support for medical cannabis.

“I guarantee you every single one of them wishes they were here today,” he said. “You know what, they shouldn’t have. They did their job. The voters spoke.”

Some witnesses criticized the limits on acceptable forms of medical cannabis. The proposed regulations exclude smoking and vaping.

Edward Williams, a veteran and member of the Legal Marijuana Now Party, said smoking or vaping is the most effective treatment method for PTSD when waking up from nightmares. The key factor is that smoking and vaping work faster than other forms of cannabis, such as edibles.

“You can’t wake up with nightmares or flashbacks and expect to wait an hour or two for an edible to work,” Williams said.

Williams wasn’t the only veteran to testify. Several others spoke about how medical cannabis has benefited them and said they’ve lost friends to suicide who didn’t have the opportunity to receive the same treatment.

Most of Wednesday’s speakers offered emotional stories about how medical cannabis can ease painful ailments for them or their loved ones. Medical cannabis has been described as a safer and cheaper option than other pain relief treatments.

“Instead of having to put my mother on morphine at the end of her life, where she then went into a coma just to control her pain, we could have had a meaningful and loving last day if they had prescribed medical cannabis,” said witness Kathy Jensen.

Registered nurse Tracey Davidson, who did not testify but attended the hearing, said she first experienced the benefits of cannabis when her sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer about 12 years ago. Living in Colorado, he had access to medical cannabis, and said he reasoned that he could continue working and riding his bike days before his death.

“I see cannabis as medicine,” Davidson said. “Throughout my career I’ve seen it work in a variety of situations, from pain management to sleep to PTSD.”

Many witnesses also criticized the three active medical cannabis commissioners not attending the hearing, calling it “shameful” and “insulting”. The hearing was required by law.

Some witnesses also accused members of being “bought” by anti-marijuana politicians. At a commission meeting several weeks ago, witness Georganna Schroeder-Stanley said she saw “indifference, boredom and even contempt” on the faces of some of the commissioners who listened to the public’s views.

Cavanaugh interviewed nominees for the commission as part of his duties as a state senator. He said his “fears have come true” since those conversations: that members are “pursuing a political agenda” that aligns with Pillen’s.

President Monica Oldenburg did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Several other witnesses said Nebraska is losing much-needed revenue. Brown argued that this is absurd given how easy it is for Nebraskans to smuggle cannabis across state lines.

Brown said Nebraska would lose residents because of the government’s resistance to legalizing medicinal cannabis. Another witness, Dawn Weir, said she returned to Nebraska this year because she heard medical cannabis had been legalized.

After the 2024 ballot initiatives, some witnesses questioned whether they should continue to vote if the state intervenes so easily. Cavanaugh urged attendees to continue voting, but to vote “for those who really respect you.”

Supporters of medical cannabis have long argued that the issue is nonpartisan, with several witnesses identifying themselves as registered Republicans who either regret voting Republican in 2024 or are reconsidering their party affiliation.

“I don’t know how long (my Republican record) is going to last given that this situation is going the other way,” said John Reagan, the declarer.

At the end of the hearing, the committee will decide whether to formally accept the regulations or make changes. If finalized, the regulations would be sent to the office of Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) for legislative review. Pillen would have the final say. Hilgers’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This story was first published by the Nebraska Examiner.

Photo by Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

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How to build a cost-efficient cultivation facility in Minnesota

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10 hours ago

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October 22, 2025

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Free webinar






With proper planning and design, you can reduce long-term costs, build a high-performing and respectable grow operation, and take advantage of the energy rebates and valuable grower incentives available through Minnesota programs.

Join TSRgrow, CannDelta and the Center for Energy Excellence for a free online masterclass on October 30th at 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM EST created for future growers, investors and operators entering Minnesota’s legal cannabis industry.

© TSRgrow

Whether you’re preparing to apply for a license or build your own space, this session will introduce you to key steps, infrastructure options, and expert-backed strategies to help you build smarter and save money from day one.

What you will learn:

  • How to plan your facility construction from permits to zoning approvals
  • Key infrastructure considerations: HVAC, lighting and environmental controls
  • Ways to reduce startup costs and avoid costly design mistakes
  • Design strategies for efficiency, scalability, and compliance
  • Insights into lighting design, energy saving and remote system control
  • Energy Rebate Programs: How to Unlock Valuable Rebates, Energy Efficiency Audits, and Exclusive Grower Incentives Available in Minnesota
  • Whether you’re just perfecting your build strategy or not, this masterclass will help you lay a solid foundation for success in the Minnesota adult-use market.

Click here to register

For more information:
TSRgrow
(email protected)
www.tsrgrow.com



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Ohio House Passes Bill To Remove Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization Protections And Restrict Hemp Market

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10 hours ago

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October 22, 2025

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The Ohio House of Representatives has passed a bill that would do just that make significant changes to the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law removing several protections for consumers, while also adding some new restrictions on hemp products intended to align the two sectors of the cannabis industry.

After passing through several House committees this week, with major amendments, the House approved Sen. Stephen Huffman’s (R) legislation on a vote of 87-8 on Wednesday.

Although the measure was previously approved by the Senate, it will have to return to that chamber for concurrence, or go to a bicameral conference committee, before going to the governor’s desk.

The House watered down some controversial provisions of the Senate-passed bill, but advocates are concerned that it would still make major changes to the marijuana law voters approve in 2023.

Rep. Brian Stewart (R), who has led the legislation through the House, argued before the vote that the legislation effectively achieves “carefully crafted compromise” among lawmakers with differing views on cannabis issues.

“It’s been very difficult to debate this bill, but most of our important bills usually are. Instead of being some kind of weak-sauce tie-breaker mash-up, this bill does what we claim we want to come to Columbus,” he said. “It tackles the issue head-on. It makes tough decisions. It respects and implements the views of residents and advocates from affected industries. This bill strikes a good balance between Ohioans’ individual liberties, their safety, the financial well-being of our local communities, and the need to protect the health and safety of Ohio’s children.”

Rep. Jamie Callender (R), who sponsored legislation to legalize marijuana before voters passed the reform on the ballot, said the bill is “not perfect,” but argued that lawmakers “must take action” to address intoxicating hemp and other pending issues.

“This is the revised code we’re writing,” he said. “I anticipate that there will be many more bills on these issues in the near and long term, as there should be … I will continue to work with all of them to make it better.”

While its supporters have described it as a less hands-off approach than the original Senate bill, the measure would make significant changes to existing legalization law, with several provisions that advocates say are in direct conflict with the will of voters and represent legislative overreach.

For example, the proposal would eliminate language in the current statute that provides anti-discrimination protections for people who legally use cannabis. It includes safeguards against adverse action in the context of child custody rights, the ability to perform organ transplants, and professional licensing.

It would also recriminalize possession of marijuana from any source other than a state-licensed Ohio dispensary or possession of marijuana from a legal household. Because of this, people can be charged with a felony for carrying cannabis purchased from a legal Michigan store in the Michigan area.

It would also ban the smoking of cannabis in outdoor public places, such as bar patios, and ban landlords from vaping marijuana in rental properties. Violation of this latter policy, even if it involves vaping in a person’s backyard in a rental property, would be a misdemeanor offense.

Karen O’Keefe, director of state policy for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), said in a letter to House lawmakers on Wednesday that SB 56 today “eliminates key protections of the law enacted by voters and re-criminalizes harmless behaviors that voters legalized.”

“Please reject this erosion of the liberties established by the voters,” he said.

Unlike the Senate-passed version of the bill, the House alternative would send cannabis sales tax revenue to local governments.

The legislation, amended by the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, also adds new restrictions on the hemp market. With the exception of beverages, hemp products would only be allowed to be sold in licensed hemp dispensaries.

Stores and breweries would be allowed to sell hemp-derived THC drinks, with new advertising restrictions to avoid appealing to youth. Products for on-premise consumption would be limited to 5 mg of THC, but adults could buy drinks of up to 10 mg to take home. Stronger drinks could also be manufactured in Ohio, but only for sale to people outside the state.

The bill would also include a new $1.20 per liter tax on hemp beverages.

The measure Earlier on Wednesday, the Treasury Board also amended it to clarify that people seeking to have their marijuana possession charges dropped would not have to prove the exact amount of cannabis they possessed. The amendment would also allow for dismissal of dismissed marijuana charges, not just convictions.

The amendment also aligns the beverage cannabinoid policy with the beverage laws and clarifies that the penalties for selling marijuana, hemp beverages or cannabinoid products to a minor would be the same regardless of the type of product.

Wednesday’s House vote comes weeks after the governor issued emergency regulations banning the sale of hemp products for 90 dayswith instructions to the legislature to consider permanent regulations. Last week, however, a county judge ordered the state to enforce that policy in response to a legal challenge.

“Quite frankly, the legislature didn’t take action,” Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said in an interview published this week. “I’m still hopeful that the legislature will step in and take action.”

House Speaker Matt Huffman (R) recently commented on the relative lack of progress on marijuana and hemp legislation since voters approved legalization on the ballot in 2023, highlighting the stark divisions within the Republican caucus.

There are “people who think marijuana should be legalized and regulated,” others who “think hemp products should be on par with everything that happened in the statute that started and then “people, like me, who are prohibitionists, don’t think it should be legalized at all and should be rare,” he said.

“I would say the prohibitionists have lost this debate.”

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
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Meanwhile, last month, the Ohio Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) introduced new proposed rules to underpin the state’s marijuana legalization law. establishing plans to update regulations on labeling and packaging requirements.

The proposal arrived a few weeks later Medical and adult marijuana sales in Ohio officially surpassed $3 billionData from the state Department of Commerce (DOC) shows.

the state About $703 million worth of recreational cannabis was sold in the first year the law was enactedAccording to data from DCC.

In March, a survey of 38 municipalities by the Ohio State University (OSU) Moritz School of Law found local leaders were “unequivocally opposed” to earlier proposals which would have cut planned funding..

Meanwhile, in Ohio, adults can buy more than double the amount of marijuana starting in June than were under previous limits, state officials determined that the market could sustainably supply patients and adult users of medical cannabis.

The governor announced his desire individually in March Marijuana tax revenue to support police training, local jails and behavioral health services. He said funding for police training was a top priority, even if it wasn’t approved by voters in 2023.

Ohio’s Senate President also pushed back against criticism of the Senate bill, claiming that the legislation does not respect the will of the electorate and it would have little effect on the products available in stores.

user photo Philip Steffan.

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Greenhouse growers & suppliers at IFPA 2025

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1 day ago

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October 21, 2025

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For many exhibitors, the IFPA Global Show requires months of preparation. From choosing the best booth location, coming up with an attractive layout, to launching new products and organizing parties. Needless to say, a lot of time and effort goes into this highly anticipated event that some call the Super Bowl of products. Last week, it was finally here. On October 17th and 18th, approximately 20,000 attendees from more than 50 countries around the world converged on Anaheim, California for an expo, educational sessions, camaraderie, and more.

Among them were the big players in North American greenhouses, and when they are somewhere, we all know the suppliers will follow, and so will we. So today we are sharing a photo report of greenhouse growers and horticulture suppliers.

Click here for the photo report.

Want more? Click here for the photo report fresh produce industryhas Fresh produce companies in Latin Americaor, if you prefer flowers, gardening companies.

What’s in fashion?
So what about the show. Many new products were introduced and many of them were variants of a category. Salad kits in different flavors, adding new colors to an existing tomato line and continued focus on better varieties in the berry segment. In the mushroom category, a new soup kit was introduced. This year’s highlights were the asparagus products and a cucumber picking kit, which includes not only cucumbers but also spices and garlic. Fermentation also seems to be picking up steam, as evidenced by kombucha drinks and kimchee. Will these products continue to be included in the category?

© Marieke Hemmes | MMJDaily.com

Click here for a photo report of the show.

the snack
It’s not new, but it’s definitely expanding the range of products in the snack segment. More tomatoes and cucumbers and new snacks were launched, but the show floor also saw celery sticks that go in kid’s lunch packs, carrots with dips, berries in small snack containers and nuts for dessert. Also, the availability of products in the nuts segment is expanding with dragon nuts and dried grapefruit strips. Packaging options for snacks also continue to expand.

The show’s attendees couldn’t complain when it came to snacking. Many companies were testing products with Dubai’s chocolate-dipped strawberries being very popular. The avocado toast bar was a busy place, with people lining up to sip the different fruit juices they were trying.

Extending the growing season
On the growing side, some US growers have cited a tough year to date as prices for some vegetable products have been low. While it wasn’t a perfect summer on the East Coast, most of the fresh produce escaped the extremes, which resulted in good yields. The crops in California did not have to endure intense heat, which also benefited the production volume. Exhibition breeders and growers are increasingly focusing on extending growing seasons. In addition to US and Canadian producers, IFPA has a strong representation of Mexican producers who market their products in the US.

Floor design
There has been a significant change in the floor plan this year, as the Flower section is cut into another building opposite the product display. The floral exhibition opened an hour earlier to give attendees more time to visit both exhibitions. The reason for creating a separate exhibition space for Floral was related to space, as the segment has seen a lot of growth in recent years. The Anaheim convention center can no longer accommodate both shows on one floor, but when the show returns to Orlando in 2026, the segments will likely be reunited.

Overall, exhibitors were happy with the floor plan design and turnout. The first day was definitely more crowded than the second day, but that is no longer surprising. However, some exhibitors mentioned that they missed the presence of some retail banners. Since the show is held on the west coast, not all east coast merchants had the opportunity to participate.

Next year, the show will return to Orlando, FL from October 15-17, 2026.

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