Nebraska
Parents, patients make final push for Nebraskans to support medical cannabis • Nebraska Examiner
OMAHA — For more than a decade, parents and patients have advocated for access to legal medical cannabis for suffering Nebraskans, including Shelley and Dominic Gillen, who want the option for their son, Will.
The Gillens say that regulated cannabis doesn’t kill but that what does kill is seizures. They said their son suffers from multiple types of seizures daily because of a rare disorder that makes treatments extremely difficult. Dominic Gillen said his son’s most recent change in medications resulted in a two-week hospital stay and the “very real fear that he was going to die.”
“Seizures have forced us to call 911, have landed him in the ER and have had him admitted for hospital stays countless times,” Shelley Gillen said at a public hearing related to two medical cannabis measures that appear on the Nebraska ballot this fall. “Seizures have traumatized our entire family.”
It has been more than 10 years of advocacy, including a stalled legislative bill in the early 2010s nicknamed “Will’s Law” from former State Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue. In that time, the Gillens said, Will Gillen has had many black eyes, head staples, stitches, concussions, knocked out teeth, a broken nose, a broken jaw and an almost fatal liver laceration.
Will’s siblings are first responders, and his parents “vigilantly check on his breathing throughout the night and in the morning to be sure he hasn’t died from an undetected fatal seizure.”
The Gillens were among more than a dozen Nebraskans who testified at a public hearing Friday at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, urging Nebraskans to support Initiative Measures 437 and 438 on the general election ballot that will be voted on, while legal challenges continue.
The measures would legalize medical cannabis for patients, caregivers and medical providers and regulate the plant under a newly created “Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission.”
The past decade has featured seven legislative bills, three straight election cycles, five petitions and more than 700,000 signatures from voters asking for the chance to weigh in.
“These initiatives are for them, and November 5 will be about them,” said Crista Eggers, the effort’s statewide campaign manager, whose elementary-school-age son suffers from severe epilepsy and seizures.
Not yet federally approved
Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson was the only opponent at Friday’s hearing. Hanson said the ballot measures would contradict federal law and bypass the “proven, critical patient safeguard” that is official approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“The entire patient-focused system is bypassed in favor of a consumer-driven commercial industry that has no safeguards to prevent diversion of THC on approved users, including youth, and much less protect patient health and safety,” Hanson testified.
Hanson, holding up a 12-ounce red solo cup, said if someone had five ounces of concentrated THC, as would be legal under Measure 437, it would be considered a major felony and a distribution amount if he or his deputies come across someone with that amount.
Hanson said he’s in favor of reclassifying marijuana, currently on the same level as heroin, LSD and ecstasy, because it needs federal regulation, testing and dosage.
He also noted the American Medical Association and other leading organizations are against citizen-led legalization of medical cannabis.
The U.S. Department of Justice has formally moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, which could aid possible FDA approval. Thirty-eight states have legalized medical marijuana, while 24 of them, plus Washington, D.C., have also legalized recreational use. The other states, including Nebraska, allow limited access to cannabis products with little to no THC, according to the Pew Research Center.
Possible clinical uses
Angie Cornett, a nurse from Norfolk, said she distinctly remembers the first time a patient felt comfortable enough — more than 10 years ago — to disclose in a clinical setting that they were illegally using cannabis to control their seizures.
“It certainly wouldn’t be the last time,” Cornett said.
Opioids or other prescribed medications can lead to life-threatening conditions, including addiction, Cornett and others testified, highlighting stories of cannabis being used for a variety of conditions, including seizures, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel disease, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, arthritis or burn pit injuries for veterans.
Heidi Smith testified that she watched her dad suffer from multiple sclerosis while growing up and described the side effects from medications he was on, including intense nausea. But because Smith’s dad, a farmer, couldn’t take a day off work, he ultimately went off the meds.
“Farming was our family’s main income source, and he did what he needed to do to provide for our family,” Smith testified.
A ‘choice’ for patients and families
Smith said her dad, a “conservative, rule-following Republican” asked state officials in the 1990s to consider the plant-based drug but didn’t tell anyone in the family. In 1996, he planted his crops, but he couldn’t walk when it was time to harvest, relying on neighbors to help.
He died in 2003, at age 52, and Smith said she signed the 2020 petition as soon as possible.
“These are hard-working Nebraskans who want a good quality of life and to provide for their families,” Smith said. “‘Nebraska, the Good Life,’ unless you have a medical condition.”
Genevieve Zwicky, who has a multi-systemic genetic disorder with symptoms that will increase in severity until death, said “all of my life experiences have been touched by pain.”
Zwicky, a single parent to a child with the same illness and a licensed mental and behavioral health professional, uses cannabis to manage symptoms but said she wakes up each day in agony, needing help with various daily activities, weekly medical appointments and so many medications that their planner is “overflowing.”
“Do you not understand that pursuing this specific group of people will demonize you?” Zwicky said. “Do you not see that you are poking a bear with more strength and stamina than you have ever known or could ever hope to come across again?”
The “choice” for suffering Nebraskans, Cornett and others said, is to leave Nebraska for a neighboring state, continue to suffer or risk being charged as criminals to get the medication they believe they need.
“When patients told us their stories, we treated them as patients, not as criminals,” Cornett said. “Research validates these patients’ anecdotes.”
Ongoing legal challenges
John Kuehn, a former state senator and former member of the State Board of Health, is challenging the medical marijuana petitions in Lancaster County District Court. Kuehn alleges the petitions didn’t get enough valid signatures.
The three ballot sponsors — Eggers, State Sen. Anna Wishart and former State Sen. Adam Morfeld — were named in Kuehn’s lawsuit, alongside Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, who validated signatures placing the measures on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Kuehn is challenging his own set of signatures, and Evnen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who has opposed medical cannabis, filed counter allegations in the Kuehn-led lawsuit. Evnen and Hilgers are targeting about a dozen petition circulators and notaries, alleging “fraud” or “malfeasance.”
The trial begins Tuesday before District Court Judge Susan Strong. The measures remain on the ballot.
‘Who’s going to take care of him?’
Marcie Reed of Blair, a volunteer for the medical marijuana ballot campaign, asked Friday if opponents had ever seen a child have a seizure. Her 11-year-old son, Kyler, has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy and takes numerous daily mediations.
“Who’s going to take care of him or care if he develops kidney problems or something else from the medicine he’s on now?” Reed asked. “It’s me, I’m the one that cares. I’m the one that has to deal with it, not you. I will continue to fight for what I believe is best for my kid.”
Reed told the Nebraska Examiner that it makes her “really angry” that officials have targeted the campaign.
In 2020, the campaign gathered enough signatures, but the Nebraska Supreme Court sided with a legal challenge that a single constitutional amendment at the time was too broad. The campaign then divided its efforts into two petitions but fell short in 2022, in part because of a lack of funds to pay volunteers after a major donor’s death.
This is the farthest the campaign has gotten.
“It’s been this group of us — moms with kids with seizures, people with health problems — and to know that they can go after the most vulnerable campaign, knowing that we did not have a lot of money, it makes me think that anything that’s going on in politics is not fair,” Reed said.
‘A David versus Goliath story’
Dominic Gillen and Reed questioned why only the cannabis petitions, which had no requests to remove Nebraskans’ names from the measures, were being investigated.
At the end of Friday’s hearing, Eggers led a two-minute moment for parents, patients, volunteers and others in attendance to share who they are fighting for, with more than two dozen names being shouted out.
Eggers said it represented a sliver of the stories for which Initiative Measures 437 and 438 would provide hope.
“Nebraskans have a choice. They can vote with compassion and empathy, or they can turn away,” Eggers testified. “And those that turn away, I want you to know that the blood of the patients in this state is on their hands.”
Dominic Gillen said the attempts to defeat the effort will be a “black mark” on the state in what is “truly a David versus Goliath story that needs to be told.”
“In a moment of despair, I was reminded by one of my children to remember how that story ended,” Dominic Gillen said. “I will continue to pray for hearts to be unhardened, and I implore all of our supporters to remember: Don’t quit five minutes before the miracle happens.”
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Nebraska football has entered a three-week runway of bowl preparation, and for one of the youngest rosters in the country, it’s a critical window for growth.
Every rep matters, and this month offers the team a chance to reset and respond after a discouraging close to the regular season.
For redshirt freshman cornerback Donovan Jones, it’s a second go-around with bowl prep, but the stakes feel different now. A year removed from using this same stretch to make his own jump, Jones enters December 2025 with starting experience and a much deeper understanding of what these practices can mean for younger players. Meeting with the media earlier this week, he broke down the progress he’s made in his expanded role and outlined what still needs to improve heading into 2026.
With that in mind, here’s everything the up-and-coming cornerback had to say during his time at the mic.
For Jones, bowl preparation has already proven to be more than just extra practice time. After redshirting in 2024, the weeks between the regular season and the bowl game became a turning point in his development, offering a volume of reps that simply weren’t available once the season was underway. With a single game to prepare for and a sharper focus on individual growth, that stretch provided Jones a runway to refine his skills and build confidence across multiple roles in the secondary.
“I’ve told a couple of the younger corners, I was playing both safety and corner during the bowl prep, just getting a whole bunch of reps. And that’s where I made my little jump. And then obviously when I got put in the bowl game, it showed,” Jones said. The versatility he gained during that stretch allowed him to transition more comfortably when his number was called. And 12 months later, Jones has already started 10 games in his collegiate career.
Now, on the other side of that experience, the Omaha native understands the value of the process better than most. Rather than viewing bowl prep as additional work, he sees it as an extension of the season itself and one that younger players can take advantage of, if willing. With a starting role already secured this fall, Jones is approaching this go-around with purpose, hoping the same formula that sparked his initial jump can serve as a springboard towards even more growth in 2026.
While looking forward to his team’s next test, Jones didn’t shy away from addressing Nebraska’s late-season struggles, pointing directly to a lack of physicality as the defining issue in the losses to Penn State and Iowa. For the Huskers, the breakdown wasn’t necessarily schematic. The soon-to-be sophomore said it was about tone. When Nebraska failed to control the line of scrimmage, the results quickly followed.
“We were just getting beat physically. That’s just not how we can be at Nebraska,” Jones said. “We need to be the one beating on people. We need to be the most violent team in the country. We didn’t do that those last two games, and it showed.” The blunt assessment reflects a growing maturity within the underclassmen and a player learning what the standard must look like on a weekly basis.
That mindset has carried into bowl preparation, where physicality has become a focal point rather than an afterthought. From Jones’ words, practices have emphasized a sustained effort from everyone on the field. For a defense trying to find its identity under new leadership, the lessons from November now serve as fuel, reinforcing what Nebraska must become if it expects to take the next step in 2026.
As Nebraska prepares to face Utah, Jones views the bowl game as a measuring stick for how much the team will grow over the next month. With a physical opponent on deck and a national stage awaiting in Las Vegas, the opportunity to respond comes now. For the Blackshirts able to return next fall, it’s a chance to apply the lessons learned late in the season and show tangible growth before turning the page.
For Jones specifically, bowl prep represents another milestone in his development. A year ago, extra reps helped kickstart his rise. Now, with a full season of starting experience behind him, he’s entering this stretch with clearer expectations of what it takes to play at a high level in the Big Ten. The focus is no longer on earning opportunities, but maximizing them.
That progression mirrors Nebraska’s trajectory as a program. With a young roster, new leadership across the staff, and an offseason ahead filled with competition, moments like these carry added weight. How the Huskers finish will help shape the foundation for 2026. And for players like Jones, the bowl game serves as both a test and a preview of what’s to come.
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Nebraska senior linebacker Dasan McCullough declared for the NFL Draft earlier this week. He made the surprising decision to play in the Huskers’ bowl game against Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
Many times, players will opt out of bowl games to not risk injury.
McCullough has a different approach. He is attacking the bowl-preparation practices as a training ground for his hoped-for NFL career.
And, he has a more heartfelt reason to play. His dad can watch him play.
“I know it’s [playing in Las Vegas] huge for all of the guys,” McCullough said at a news conference Friday. “It’s even bigger for me being back home so my dad can see my final game. It’s huge for me.
“I was really going to play regardless, but I was just waiting to see who we played against. I think Utah is a great opportunity and a top-15 team, so I’m excited.”
Bowl practices
The Huskers (7-5) are busy preparing to play the 10-2 Utes. Nebraska, with a victory, can finish with a better record than last year’s 7-6 mark. After a disappointing, up-and-down season, that should be strong motivation for the Huskers.
“I’m treating them [bowl practices] like I’m getting ready for the league [NFL], as I am,” said McCullough a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder from Kansas City.
“I’m working on my technique every day. I’m still improving on stuff I got to improve on. And at the end of the day, we still got to end this season on our terms. We feel like we didn’t do that with Iowa and this is a great second opportunity.”
McCullough said he enjoys working with interim defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who replaced John Butler, who was fired after the Iowa game.
“It’s been pretty cool, actually,” McCullough said. “You know, Snow’s already been really involved with our defense, so it hasn’t been like something like crazy, but he’s just more vocal now. But we all love him.”
Head coach Matt Rhule, who comes from a defensive background, also has been involved with defensive drills. So has special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler.
“Yeah, he’s been coaching with me pretty directly and that’s been pretty cool honestly because I’ve known coach Eckler since I was 10 or 11 when he was at Indiana,” McCullough said.
“So, it’s been pretty cool for us just kind of been going through this together. We’ve definitely been having our smiles out there.
“I’d definitely say coach Rhule, I guess as a whole, has the whole D-line very amped up every day. I mean, if you could see it now it looks crazy out there the way the guys are moving around and playing.
“So, it’s definitely that juice that they both brought. Coach Eck as well. He definitely brings a lot of juice.”
McCullough’s season
McCullough played in 10 games this season, starting seven. He missed a game due to injury. He has 21 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and one pass breakup. He is tied for the Huskers’ lead in sacks and is third in tackles for loss. He was a media choice as an honorable mention All-Big Ten player.
He was asked what happened in the final two games of the season, blowout losses against Penn State and Iowa.
“Just execution,” he said. “That’s all I can really say. Guys not executing right. We got to be more on point with our jobs.”
Nebraska is McCullough’s third school. He started at Indiana and played one season there. He transferred to Oklahoma and played two seasons with the Sooners. He was at Nebraska for one season.
Now, he hopes to play in the league, “on Sundays” as they say.
“I think I showed that I’m really relentless on all levels of the game,” McCullough said. “I give outstanding effort.
“I’m very well at getting off the ball and bending and rushing the passer. I could bring a lot as a stack-backer as well. So, I feel like my versatility is second to none, seriously.”
He was asked what he learned at Nebraska to prepare him for the NFL.
“A lot. Just taught me a lot of discipline, a lot of technique things, too, from a football perspective that coach [Phil] Simpson [assistant coach-outside linebackers] taught me along with coach Rhule that I’ll be taking to the next level,” McCullough said.
“They’ve redefined a lot of my technique as an edge. So, just taking that to the next level and, you know, there’s a little something I learned from all three schools that I feel like are going to help me be complete.”
Portal time
It’s December, so players are exploring the possibility of entering the transfer portal. Since McCullough has transferred twice, other players seek his advice.
“It’s really different now,” McCullough said. “I mean, there’s still a lot of guys who transfer for really good reasons.
“Obviously, as you guys know, when guys hit the portal the main thing now is the money. It’s how much money they can get and stuff like that. But more importantly it’s going somewhere where you have an opportunity to start and play.
“So I guess that’s kind of how I’ve been kind of trying to help the guys. They asked me a lot of questions about the portal since I’ve been through it and I just tell them the same thing.
“If you guys are looking for a perfect location, you’re not going to find one. There’s nowhere, there’s no perfect university out there. That’s why every school has guys enter the portal. It’s about situations for you.
“So I tell the guys that all the time. Definitely don’t make your decisions just based off money. You need to go somewhere where you’ll actually perform and play.
“Yeah, I transferred a lot, but I also played a lot at all three of those places. So, I was just kind of telling the guys that, to have the right mindset if they’re going to make that decision.”
And about those three transfers?
“I think I made the three perfect decisions,” McCullough said. “I think they all fell in line for an exact reason. So, I have no regrets about anything.”
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On Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. CT, Peacock), No. 13 Illinois (8-2, 1-0 Big Ten) will host No. 23 Nebraska (10-0, 1-0 Big Ten) in Champaign for an early-season ranked-on-ranked Big Ten showdown.
The Cornhuskers made their season debut in the AP poll this Monday. Two days later, they dismantled – by 30 points – a Wisconsin club that entered the season ranked in the top 25, knocking off the Badgers 90-60 in Lincoln.
Blood in the water. 🦈📹https://t.co/LKzCqN3tcz
— Nebraska Men’s Basketball (@HuskerMBB) December 11, 2025
ESPN’s matchup predictor makes its pick for Illinois-Nebraska
Yet on Saturday, according to ESPN’s analytics, the odds are not at all in Nebraska’s favor. The matchup predictor gives Illinois a 77.5 percent chance of staving off the visitors this weekend.
And it makes sense for two key reasons: 1) Home-court advantage. Playing at home, especially in Big Ten action, already gives any team a massive leg up. For example, the Illini, despite losing 14 conference games over the past two seasons, have just five league losses on their home floor during that stretch.
2) Illinois is really good.
The AP poll doesn’t always reflect reality. Both of these clubs may, in fact, be better than their respective rankings in that poll. Nevertheless, the difference between the No. 20 team and the No. 25 team isn’t nearly as drastic as the difference between the No. 5 and No. 10 team.
The Illini should absolutely dominate the Cornhuskers on the glass. Given the relative shortcomings of Brad Underwood’s squad in that department in its past few outings, it’s possible the margin is closer than it should be, but Illinois will undoubtedly control the boards to at least some extent.
And given the level the Illini defense has been operating at, specifically on first attempts in each possession, the Cornhuskers are going to find points extremely tough to come by. Offensively, Illinois will surely rely heavily on its talent once again, staying away from any complex schematic design and simply letting its players operate.
As the old adage goes: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And with an Illinois offense currently ranked No. 5 in KenPom in terms of efficiency, it very clearly isn’t broken.
As Nebraska has done all season thus far to its opponents, Fred Hoiberg’s unit figures to make the Illini appear somewhat less than. But between the size and talent disparity, not to mention the home-floor advantage, Illinois will still very likely put an end to Nebraska’s exceptional undefeated start – even if it is a tighter battle than the Illini would like.
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