Medical marijuana organizers say Nebraska petition drive will fail without more signatures

The petition drive to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska needs thousands more signatures to assure it will be on the ballot this fall, according to the effort’s organizers. The petitions must be turned in by Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Heading into the final weekend push seeking signatures, Christa Eggers with Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana says they need 15,000 additional supporters to sign.

“We still do not have the necessary signatures that make us feel confident that we can get across the finish line," she said.

The push to submit more signatures than required by law is common practice to assure petition drives have a sufficient “pad” to compensate for signatures often rejected by the Nebraska Secretary of State.

Two years ago, the medical cannabis campaign fell short of obtaining enough legal signatures.

“We turned in 100,000 signatures two years ago and that was not enough after verification,” Eggers said. “We did not make the ballot.”

Eggers says it’s not surprising that while public opinion polls show support for the cause, “the challenge is still there,” to collect signatures.

To change the Nebraska marijuana laws with a ballot initiative, the supporters need nearly 90,000 registered voters to sign the petitions being circulated. To ensure there is statewide support for an election, they must also get the support of at least 5% of the voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties. Eggers believe the drive has met that goal.

Eggers says volunteers will, in her words, be out in force over the weekend looking for as many signers as possible.

Changing Nebraska marijuana statutes requires two petitions addressing a pair of state laws. One would protect both patients and caregivers from prosecution. The second establishes a commission to set up the necessary regulations.

Opponents, including Gov. Jim Pillen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers, say such a change should only be permitted with changes to federal law. Both have also made strong statements about the perceived dangers of legalizing marijuana in any form.

Recent polls indicate Nebraskans attitudes about legalization of cannabis have evolved in lines with states that have legalized the medical and recreational use.

“What we know is Nebraskans overwhelmingly support this, and when it gets on the ballot, they will vote and pass this by a majority," Eggers said.