Gov. Jim Pillen announced Friday he intends to provide administrative support and resources to the Medical Cannabis Commission.
“With support from the Policy Research Office, the Department of Administrative Services, and other agencies, as necessary, the Medical Cannabis Commission is fully enabled to meet and carry out its responsibilities under the Patient Protection Act and the Regulation Act to meet its milestone dates of July 1 and Oct. 1,” a press release from the Governor’s Office said.
The commission was created upon the passage of Initiative 438 by Nebraska voters in November 2024.
It is made up of three ex oficio members who serve on the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission – Bruce Bailey, Harry Hoch Jr. and Kim Lowe – and two additional members appointed by the governor.
Pillen has appointed Lorelle Mueting and Monica Oldenburg to the position. Both have testified against earlier attempts to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska during legislative hearings.
“I have appointed two experienced, well-qualified individuals to the Medical Cannabis Commission, who will ensure this new industry is strongly regulated to the letter of the law the people of Nebraska enacted,” Pillen said. “I urge the Legislature to promptly confirm them so they can take up the urgent work of writing strong and effective ‘rules of the road’ for the medical cannabis industry.”
Crista Eggers, the executive director of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, does not have the same confidence in the appointees. In response to Pillen’s announcement, she wrote that it is “disingenuous” to call the two “experienced and well-qualified.”
“Both individuals have consistently expressed strong opposition to medical cannabis, both personally and professionally,” she wrote. “Appointing regulators who are fundamentally opposed to the very issue they are charged with overseeing suggests that other motives may be at play — motives that appear misaligned with the public intent, and not to mention the will of 71% of the state.”
The 71% is in reference to the percentage voting in favor of Initiative 437 last November, which legalized possession of medical marijuana.
The Legislature’s General Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the Medical Cannabis Commission appointments Thursday at 2 p.m.
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana Executive Director Crista Eggers said the governor’s selections for the commission are misaligned with public intent. Read More
