LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) -Just last week, Nebraska’s recently established Medical Cannabis Commission was downsized following the sudden resignation of two of its members at the request of Governor Jim Pillen.

That change was just one of many small delays in the process of bringing the product to the state. On Tuesday, the three remaining commissioners took a step forward by approving the first two licenses for the marijuana cultivators in the state, one in Omaha and one in Raymond, though it comes six days after the initial Oct. 1 deadline to do so.

In the November 2024 election, more than 70% of Nebraskans that showed up to the polls voted yes to the legalization of medical marijuana. Since, it has been a lengthy process to get it.

Public hearings held by the Medical Cannabis Commission in the past months, including one on Tuesday, often acting as a megaphone for those advocating for access and frustrated it hasn’t come yet.

“People deserve choices in what medications they take,” Chirsty Knorr, a hospice nurse in Nebraska, said during public comment. “It matters, and I urge you, I implore you to please follow the will of the voters.”

Regulations set by the commission will allow four marijuana growers total to receive licenses in Nebraska. For the initial selection, four applicants were chosen at random, with each of the three commissioners then anonymously scoring the application based on a matrix that follows the current temporary regulations they set. An average score of 70 or higher was needed for approval.

But what exactly is each applicant is being scored on is still unknown. The attorney representing the commission told media on Tuesday that the rubric used won’t be available to anyone until all four cultivators are selected.

Crista Eggers, who led the charge for legalization in 2024, was one of the two applicants that were denied. Her scores varied widely, with one commissioner giving her a 72 and another an 11.

“I do hope that we’re able to see some transparency with the matrix and things so that all applications, all license applicants have that information to go forward with so they know how they scored.”” Eggers said during public comment at Tuesday’s hearing.

The denied applicants will now have 10 days to appeal the decisions while two more applicants will be chosen for review in their place, should those appeals be unsuccessful.

A public hearing will be held regarding the commission’s final regulations on Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. at the Nebraska State Office Building, though the commissioners shared that none of them will be in attendance.

The commissioners’ next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. in the Nebraska State Office building.

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