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.
