Tribe In Nebraska Approves First Marijuana License As State Officials Scale Back Voter-Approved Medical Cannabis Law

As Nebraska officials face criticism over attempts to significantly scale
back a voter-approved medical marijuana law, an Native American tribe
within the state has now approved its first license for a vertically
integrated cannabis operation since approving legalization in its borders
earlier this year.

At its first meeting on Monday, the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska’s Cannabis
Regulatory Commission discussed proposed rules to stand up the tribal
marijuana market. They also agreed to license the tribe itself to move
forward with next steps in setting up the industry for launch.

The draft rules weren’t adopted at the meeting, but the tribe’s attorney
general, John Cartier, said that in time he wants the territory to “stand
as a direct contrast to that dysfunction and show that the will of the
voters is being respected, at least on the Omaha Reservation.”

“We’re prepared to move forward to grant access to the folks that need help
through medical cannabis,” he said.

Under the legalization code that the tribe adopted in July—making it the
first to enact such a reform in a state where lawmakers have long resisted
the policy change—adults 21 and older can purchase and possess up to an
ounce of cannabis as long as they’re on the tribal land.

Arthur Isagholian, a member of the cannabis commission, cautioned at the
meeting that, “If you violate rules off of the tribal land and you get
caught with product that you purchased on tribal land, you’re kind of on
your own,” as NTV reported.

While the tribe approved a vertically integrated license for its own
purposes to help streamline the implementation of legalization in the
territory, it’s unclear when the regulatory rules will go up for a vote and
open up opportunities for legal sales.

The tribe’s license “will be subject, obviously, to our published rules and
regulations—but just so the tribe is able to start working towards
agreements, equity and funding while we’re hashing this out,” a member said.

The commission will be meeting once a month, and it’s expected that at
least some of the proposed regulations will be approved when members come
together again in November.

In a press release ahead of Monday’s meeting, the tribe’s attorney general
had some choice words for state officials.

“While Nebraska’s process lurches from delay to debate, we’re doing the one
thing patients and businesses need—governing,” Cartier said. “On October
27, we give Nebraska a greenlight: clear rules, real oversight, and a
workable, well-regulated industry rooted in sovereignty, safety, and common
sense.”

“We want to stand as a direct contrast to that dysfunction [at the state
level] and show that the will of the voters is being respected, at least on
the Omaha Reservation, and we’re prepared to move forward to grant access
to the folks that need help through medical cannabis,” he said.

He’s not alone is the criticism. Advocates have strongly pushed back
against the state after a governor-appointed panel put forward proposed
rules for the medical cannabis market, including prohibitive purchasing
limits.


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While the state approved its first medical cannabis business license to a
cultivator, there is still no lawful means for patients to access products
yet.

Meanwhile, last month Nebraska activists have filed an initiative to
legalize marijuana and establish a constitutional right to use cannabis for
adult over the age of 21. If organizers collect enough valid signatures
from registered voters, it could appear on the 2026 ballot.

The marijuana reform push also comes as the state attorney general is cracking
down on sales of intoxicating hemp-derived products, including those
containing delta-8 THC.

Las year’s approval of two medical marijuana ballot measures came after an
earlier attempt in 2020 gathered enough signatures for ballot placement,
but saw the measure invalidated by the state Supreme Court following a
single-subject challenge. Supporters then came up short on signatures for
revised petitions in 2022 due in large part to the loss of funding after
one of their key donors died in a plane crash.

*Photo courtesy of California State Fair.*

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Officials Scale Back Voter-Approved Medical Cannabis Law appeared first on Marijuana
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