Advocating and press conference

 I was invited to speak at a press conference in support of LB474 Adopt the Medical Cannabis Act. It was quite the emotional day! I will always fiercely advocate for my son. I'm beyond grateful for the opportunity to speak but even more so for the people I got to share the microphone with. I was surrounded by some of the most amazing parents and advocates; ones I aspire to be. I'm also so proud to stand beside some of the most compassionate senators. They care about Nebraskans and show it in their legislation. 

Medical marijuana debate back in front of Nebraska senators (wowt.com) Brain Mastre had some great coverage of the press conference.  

Press Release – February 23, 2021

My family and I were absolutely devastated last September in learning that all the hard work these families put into the ballot initiative was thrown away because the subsections meant to keep Nebraskans safe were considered logrolling. The work of hundreds of volunteers and the voices of over 196,000 Nebraskans were thrown out because some thought voters would be confused. I’ve read enough ballots in my life to be confused about more items than whether or not medical cannabis should be allowed in our state. Forty-seven states in the US have some cannabis legislation. Cannabis IS medicine and the majority of governors say so!

My son, Jayen, doesn’t have time to wait for another ballot initiative. His seizures are debilitating and each one puts him at a greater risk for Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. The only other option we are left with at this time is another brain surgery. There is a medicine that could potentially help him, but he is forced to endure probes placed directly on his brain and the removal of parts of his brain instead. We are desperate for the help of the lawmakers in our state to take action and pass a bill that could help many suffering in Nebraska. Forty-seven states have enacted some kind of cannabis regulation but for 7 years Nebraska has failed. When the people took charge and petitioned their government, their government moved the goal line and redrew the end zone.

According to the Nebraska Supreme Court Justices, “If voters are to intelligently adopt a state policy with regard to medicinal cannabis use, they must first be allowed to decide the issue alone, unencumbered by other subjects.” After submitting new, simpler, one sentence language and learning it still may not meet the single-subject requirement something needs to change.

We are here today to beg our law makers to help write sensible laws to help our son and the hundreds of people we met who could benefit from cannabis. We need your help and we need it now. We are asking for your support for LB 474 Adopt the Medical Cannabis Act, LB475 which would require the Attorney General to issue an opinion with respect to whether an initiative measure contains more than one subject before petition circulators begin collecting signatures as well as LR24CA which would place a constitutional initiative on the 2022 ballot to amend the Nebraska Constitution’s “single subject rule” to instead read “Initiative measures shall contain only one general subject which may include provisions that have a connection to the general subject of the measure.” If we can’t get this passed in the legislature we will not back down. We will continue to fight; we just don’t believe the finish line should move to stop the people’s will.