On Monday, there will be a debate on the “effects of smoking and cannabis during pregnancy as well as research on flavors.”
By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner
Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission met Monday to discuss state laws, research and the use of cannabis as medicine.
Before October 1, the commission must begin issuing licenses to medical cannabis businesses.
Monday’s meeting agenda doesn’t explain how close the commission is to releasing more permanent rules and regulations. The commissioners will need to set up a hearing for the public at least 30 calendar days in advance once these guidelines have been released. There is a general section of the agenda devoted to “rule updates” as well as plans for thanking the public for the various comments they submitted by July 15, regarding the temporary guidelines for medical cannabis licenses.
They would need the approval of Gov. These regulations would require the Governor’s approval. Jim Pillen and Mike Hilgers, Attorney generals of the state.
If needed, the temporary rules can be prolonged for a 90-day period. However, Pillen and his commission would prefer to have official guidelines by October.
The emergency rules and regulations, including application requirements, are available here.
Pillen approved the emergency regulations June 29, which immediately allowed the commission to begin accepting licensing applications for cultivators, product manufacturers, dispensaries and transporters.
It is still unclear as to where the applications should be sent.
According to the emergency regulations those who wish to get a licence would not be allowed to sell raw plant material, any products that are intended to be consumed by smoking, vaping, or combustion, any product that contains artificial flavors, natural flavors, or colors, any food or beverage with cannabis mixed, backed or otherwise infused into it, or any hemp-based products or any other product with “intoxicating cannabinoids”, including delta-8 or delta-10 tetrahydrocannabinols (THC
The products that are allowed include oral tablets, capsules and tinctures. They also include non-sugarcoated cuboids of gelatin, rectangular gelatin cuboids in gelatin, gels and oils.
On Monday, there will be a debate on the “effects of smoking and cannabis during pregnancy as well as research on flavors.”
Pillen said three of the members he appointed to the Medical Cannabis Commission agreed with him in his belief that Nebraska shouldn’t move towards recreational marijuana. At least two his appointees do not consider smoking marijuana to be an acceptable medical practice.
A general discussion is also scheduled for the commissioners on voter-approved medical cannabis laws:
- The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection Act, approved by 71 percent of voters in November, legalized up to 5 ounces of medical cannabis with any health care practitioner’s recommendation. The law has been in place since November.
- The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation Act, approved by about 67 percent of voters, created the Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate the medicine and begin licensing by Oct. 1.
The commissioners may also go into executive session on Monday to talk about pending litigation. For example, a case before the Nebraska Supreme Court that seeks to invalidate medical cannabis laws. A district court judge dismissed the case initially, though the Attorney General’s Office has already voiced intent to also sue the commission if and when it begins licensing.
The commission also now has a website, https://lcc.nebraska.gov/medical-cannabis, and email, [email protected].
They will also vote whether or not to borrow money from Nebraska Liquor Control Commission. According to law, the Liquor Control Commission provides three out of five commissioners for medical cannabis. The group could spend $108.68 on public notices of meetings in the Omaha World-Herald in June and Lincoln Journal Star.
The use of such funds from the Liquor Control Commission remains murky.
Those dollars are derived from registration fees, server training fees and sales from the selling of the Liquor Control Commission’s rules, governing laws and other publications. State law allows those funds to be used for “administrative costs” from specific liquor laws, not cannabis.
Medical Cannabis Commission, meeting at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. The room is located below the State Office Building, Lincoln, 301 Centennial Mall South.
Nebraska Examiner published this article first.