Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Passes Adult-Use and Medical Cannabis Legalization
The Tribal Council of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska has voted unanimously to legalize both adult-use and medical cannabis, positioning the tribe as “a trailblazer in state cannabis reform.”
The Tribe is the first government in Nebraska to legalize and regulate both medical and adult-use cannabis following a unanimous vote by the tribal council on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Nebraska voters approved a statewide medical cannabis legalization initiative in November, but lawmakers this year ultimately failed to pass legislation implementing the program.
According to the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Attorney General John Cartier, “The Omaha Tribe is not waiting on broken systems to deliver.”
“We are asserting our sovereign right to govern, protect our community, and build a sustainable economy that reflects our values.” — Cartier, in a press release
The new law will establish a Cannabis Regulatory Commission to oversee the tribal adult-use and medical cannabis industries. The adult-use program will be open to adults aged 21+, “including non-Tribal visitors, on Reservation land,” and regulators with the Commission will oversee the cannabis licensing process, product testing, and enforcement systems.
The new law also includes the “expungement of prior Tribal cannabis offenses and a robust social equity framework to repair the harms of past criminalization,” according to a press release.
The legalization policy took effect immediately, and the tribe is planning to launch the cannabis programs in 2025, starting with “licensing, compliance, and public education.”
Following the Nebraska Legislature’s inaction on the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis program, officials recently proposed last-minute, emergency medical cannabis rules, which the governor approved earlier this month.
Original article written by Graham Abbott