[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-article-nebraska-supreme-court-upholds-medical-marijuana-ballot-initiatives-rejecting-legal-challenge-1f5943ce":3},{"data":4},{"_id":5,"slug":6,"articleType":7,"body":8,"createdAt":14,"dek":15,"entities":16,"headline":25,"imageAlt":26,"imageUrl":27,"keyFacts":28,"language":39,"publishedAt":40,"seo":41,"sources":43,"summary":48,"updatedAt":49},"6a9acd705457399f4e5dcf16","nebraska-supreme-court-upholds-medical-marijuana-ballot-initiatives-rejecting-legal-challenge-1f5943ce","regulation",[9,10,11,12,13],"The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld Nebraska's two voter-approved medical cannabis laws, ending a legal challenge to the 2024 petition effort that had been backed by Republican elected officials. Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke wrote the 7-0, 49-page opinion siding against former state Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell, a longtime opponent of medical marijuana, as well as similar arguments from Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers.","Kuehn's appeal sought to overturn a Lancaster County District Court ruling that affirmed medical cannabis supporters had enough valid signatures to reach voters in 2024. The lawsuit alleged widespread fraud and \"notarial malfeasance\" in the petition process, but the high court rejected those claims. Had the challenge succeeded, the campaign could have sought to rehabilitate challenged signatures in a second trial phase.","During oral arguments, Chief Justice Funke and Justice Jonathan Papik appeared skeptical of the need for many petition signers to potentially recertify that they signed the petitions. \"So does that mean they'd call 86,000 signatories to testify that the petition was read to them, they understood what they were signing and they actually signed it?\" Funke asked at the time. Justices Stephanie Stacy and William Cassel had also hinted the case might be \"moot\" because of the result of the 2024 election or because signatures had already been verified.","The voter-created Medical Cannabis Commission has been rewriting its regulations to allow fees for new applications before granting any new licenses. That process is still in the early stages, with the next commission meeting scheduled for September 14. State lawmakers granted the commission the authority to collect fees during the 2026 legislative session, but the commission had already been working to finalize a previous set of regulations.","The decision comes amid an ongoing criminal investigation into significant allegations of fraud on at least eight different petitions in the 2026 election cycle. That consists of three proposed amendments to the Lincoln City Charter, four statewide ballot measures and one nonpartisan petition bid for Nebraska governor. Centered in Lancaster County, six out-of-state circulators were arrested who assisted the Lincoln petition effort, and law enforcement is searching for a seventh as of August 19.","2026-09-04T13:53:52.290Z","A unanimous 7-0 ruling keeps Nebraska's two voter-approved medical cannabis laws in place after Republican officials alleged petition fraud.",{"brands":17,"products":18,"markets":19,"organizations":21},[],[],[20],"Nebraska",[22,23,24],"Nebraska Supreme Court","Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana","Medical Cannabis Commission","Nebraska Supreme Court Upholds Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiatives, Rejecting Legal Challenge","Nebraska Supreme Court building exterior with columns and steps under a clear sky.","",[29,33,36],{"claim":30,"sourceUrl":31,"_id":32},"The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld Nebraska's two voter-approved medical cannabis laws following a legal challenge to the 2024 petition effort.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.marijuanamoment.net\u002Fnebraska-supreme-court-upholds-medical-marijuana-ballot-initiatives-rejecting-legal-challenge\u002F","6a9acd70723e26a876d7e0dc",{"claim":34,"sourceUrl":31,"_id":35},"Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke wrote a 7-0, 49-page opinion siding against the lawsuit from former state Sen. John Kuehn and similar arguments from Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers.","6a9acd70723e26a876d7e0dd",{"claim":37,"sourceUrl":31,"_id":38},"The voter-created Medical Cannabis Commission has been rewriting its regulations to allow fees for new applications before granting any new licenses, with the next commission meeting scheduled for September 14.","6a9acd70723e26a876d7e0de","en","2026-09-04T13:53:54.110Z",{"title":42,"description":15},"Nebraska Supreme Court Upholds Medical Marijuana Laws",[44],{"name":45,"url":31,"trustTier":46,"_id":47},"Marijuana Moment","trade","6a9acd70723e26a876d7e0db","The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the state's two voter-approved medical cannabis laws, rejecting a legal challenge from former state Sen. John Kuehn and arguments from Secretary of State Bob Evnen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers that the 2024 petition effort was tainted by fraud and notarial malfeasance.","2026-09-04T13:53:54.112Z"]