A late legislative attempt Wednesday to give additional protections to health care practitioners who recommend medical cannabis to Nebraska patients fell well short of moving forward a day after a broader medical cannabis regulatory bill stalled.
State Sen. John Cavanaugh (D) of Omaha sought to add those physician liability protections Wednesday to a broader Health and Human Services Committee bill: Legislative Bill 376. The measure seeks to slash various reporting requirements and make other changes primarily in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
Cavanaugh said his effort was a “solution” that would be a “small but meaningful step” for some of the families who showed up Tuesday for LB 677, the medical cannabis regulatory bill from State Sen. Ben Hansen (R) of Blair. LB 677 failed 23–22, falling 10 votes short of overcoming an all-day filibuster.
“Give these families some hope, some opportunity to get access to what the voters approved at over 70 percent,” Cavanaugh told his colleagues. “Vote to give doctors some small protection if they follow their conscience and their training.”
Under the ballot measures approved in November, a patient can possess up to 5 ounces of medical cannabis for any condition with a health care practitioner’s recommendation.
Hellbound and Down 