Lincoln, NE — In November, 71 percent of Nebraskans voted in favor of medical cannabis, prompting the Nebraska Cannabis Commission to draft emergency regulations. However, the commission faces a financial hurdle, needing $70,000 to fund a website for licensing dispensaries, cultivation, manufacturing and transportation of cannabis. The commission is required by law to have regulations in place by Tuesday.

“The best we have right now is what’s in here that lays out the information required that you’ll have to do for application. That will be tied down hopefully in the next month,” said Bruce Bailey, a commission representative.

Concerns were raised at a recent commission meeting, particularly about a regulation allowing only one dispensary per judicial district. Morgan Ryan, a commenter, criticized this limitation, saying, “Seems to me like that would be one dispensary in all of Douglas County which has over half a million residents. That seems silly and obviously not feasible.”

Troy Burgess, a Nebraska resident and manager of a cannabis farm in Oklahoma, voiced concern over the absence of cultivation limits in Nebraska’s proposed regulations. “I don’t want this to set up and start the wild, wild west like we dealt with in Oklahoma,” he said. “Now us legal operators are coming through because there were so many illegal operators that had to get weeded out.”

His comments reflect a broader anxiety among legal industry professionals who fear Nebraska could repeat the regulatory missteps seen in other states, where rapid rollout and loose oversight led to enforcement challenges and market instability.

“The draft regulations that you all approved are a direct violation of that and I think it’s even more important to note that it’s in direct violation of what 71% of people voted for in November,” said Crista Eggers, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, who opposed the ban on plant and flower products, arguing it contradicts the ballot initiative.

Despite these concerns, Eggers acknowledged the regulations’ foundation and called the meeting productive. “We appreciate that the committee really voiced the intention to listen to the public,” she said.

Nebraskans have until July 15 to review the emergency regulations and submit comments via email.