Nebraska

‘Slap in the face’: Medical cannabis access uncertain in Nebraska

Published

2 months ago

April 8, 2026

‘Slap in the face’: Medical cannabis access uncertain in Nebraska

More than a year after voters overwhelmingly approved medical cannabis in Nebraska, the state is nowhere near having a functioning program.Some state lawmakers and cannabis advocates say the latest blow landed Tuesday night, when a bill offering protections to healthcare practitioners who recommend medical cannabis faltered on the legislative floor.”If there are no practitioners, there are no patients in this program,” Crista Eggers with Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana said. “What seems to be the goal of this is to make sure Nebraska never has a functioning program.”The stories of families fighting for a medical cannabis program stack up every day.”His seizures happen all the time. He’s probably he’s having probably hundreds a day,” Dominic Gillen said. “We thought we were the only family. And we’ve come to find out that there are thousands of Nebraskans that are in need of this.”Gillen’s son Will has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. So does Matthew Bronson’s son Teddy. Bronson is a disabled veteran and carries chronic pain with him every day.”I want to take something or use something that will help with the pain, but not impair me to the point where I cannot give aid to my child,” Bronson said.Both families celebrated when Nebraskans overwhelmingly greenlit a medical cannabis program.”That means 71% of the state says, ‘Let’s do this. Let’s try it,’” Bronson said.But they say lawmakers and other state officials hung the program out to dry since 2024.”The legislature has not fulfilled the real intent of the voters,” Gillen said.Sen. John Cavanaugh championed LB933, aiming to protect healthcare practitioners who recommend cannabis, a Schedule 1 substance.”Not a single doctor in Nebraska has made a recommendation because they are afraid that the retribution by the attorney general or other law enforcement against their license,” Cavanaugh said.A number of amendments, including one from Sen. Brian Hardin, throttled the bill on Tuesday night. Hardin called LB933 a “recreational marijuana bill masquerading as a medical marijuana bill” in an interview with KETV on Wednesday.That means practitioners still won’t have legal protections this year, something Cavanaugh said will be chilling to the program facing a critical attorney general.”You cannot have a medical cannabis program if no doctors are able to make a recommendation for their patients,” Cavanaugh said.Attorney General Mike Hilgers’ office said on Wednesday that he is “responsible for ensuring the safety of patients.”” is charged with reviewing complaints as to medical professionals who violate the terms of their licenses,” the statement said. “We take that obligation very seriously, and the office will look at any medical professional who has been alleged to have violated the conditions of their license.”Every other state with a medical-only cannabis program has protections for practitioners. Nebraska”It feels like a slap in the face,” Bronson said. “There’s no nice way of saying it.”Bronson and Gillen said they’ll continue to advocate for what they say is necessary for many Nebraskan patients.But they say they’re uncertain about the future as Nebraska continues to chart its own course. The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission has missed deadlines, restricted forms of cannabis patients can use, and capped the total number of plants cultivators can grow to just 1,250. That’s a total of 5,000 hemp plants across the four licensed cultivators.”What I’ve heard from people who want to get licenses, they’re already saying that that won’t be enough,” Gillen said.The Medical Cannabis Commission did not respond for comment on Wednesday. But it will hold its next public meeting next Monday at 1 p.m. in the State Office Building in Lincoln.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

LINCOLN, Neb. —

More than a year after voters overwhelmingly approved medical cannabis in Nebraska, the state is nowhere near having a functioning program.

Some state lawmakers and cannabis advocates say the latest blow landed Tuesday night, when a bill offering protections to healthcare practitioners who recommend medical cannabis faltered on the legislative floor.

“If there are no practitioners, there are no patients in this program,” Crista Eggers with Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana said. “What seems to be the goal of this is to make sure Nebraska never has a functioning program.”

The stories of families fighting for a medical cannabis program stack up every day.

“His seizures happen all the time. He’s probably he’s having probably hundreds a day,” Dominic Gillen said. “We thought we were the only family. And we’ve come to find out that there are thousands of Nebraskans that are in need of this.”

Gillen’s son Will has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. So does Matthew Bronson’s son Teddy. Bronson is a disabled veteran and carries chronic pain with him every day.

“I want to take something or use something that will help with the pain, but not impair me to the point where I cannot give aid to my child,” Bronson said.

Both families celebrated when Nebraskans overwhelmingly greenlit a medical cannabis program.

“That means 71% of the state says, ‘Let’s do this. Let’s try it,’” Bronson said.

But they say lawmakers and other state officials hung the program out to dry since 2024.

“The legislature has not fulfilled the real intent of the voters,” Gillen said.

Sen. John Cavanaugh championed LB933, aiming to protect healthcare practitioners who recommend cannabis, a Schedule 1 substance.

“Not a single doctor in Nebraska has made a recommendation because they are afraid that the retribution by the attorney general or other law enforcement against their license,” Cavanaugh said.

A number of amendments, including one from Sen. Brian Hardin, throttled the bill on Tuesday night. Hardin called LB933 a “recreational marijuana bill masquerading as a medical marijuana bill” in an interview with KETV on Wednesday.

That means practitioners still won’t have legal protections this year, something Cavanaugh said will be chilling to the program facing a critical attorney general.

“You cannot have a medical cannabis program if no doctors are able to make a recommendation for their patients,” Cavanaugh said.

Attorney General Mike Hilgers’ office said on Wednesday that he is “responsible for ensuring the safety of patients.”

“[The Attorney General] is charged with reviewing complaints as to medical professionals who violate the terms of their licenses,” the statement said. “We take that obligation very seriously, and the office will look at any medical professional who has been alleged to have violated the conditions of their license.”

Every other state with a medical-only cannabis program has protections for practitioners. Nebraska

“It feels like a slap in the face,” Bronson said. “There’s no nice way of saying it.”

Bronson and Gillen said they’ll continue to advocate for what they say is necessary for many Nebraskan patients.

But they say they’re uncertain about the future as Nebraska continues to chart its own course. The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission has missed deadlines, restricted forms of cannabis patients can use, and capped the total number of plants cultivators can grow to just 1,250. That’s a total of 5,000 hemp plants across the four licensed cultivators.

“What I’ve heard from people who want to get licenses, they’re already saying that that won’t be enough,” Gillen said.

The Medical Cannabis Commission did not respond for comment on Wednesday. But it will hold its next public meeting next Monday at 1 p.m. in the State Office Building in Lincoln.

Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.

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Nebraska

Hundreds lose power across southeast Nebraska after Thursday morning storm

Published

8 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

Hundreds lose power across southeast Nebraska after Thursday morning storm

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Hundreds of people are without power in southeast Nebraska after a severe storm passed through Thursday morning.

The Lincoln Electric System outage map showed 115 customers without power across the city at 11:36 a.m.

Norris Public Power District’s outage map also shows 45 customers affected by the storm. As of 11:36 a.m., there were nine active outages.

According to the Nebraska Public Power District outage map, 657 customers were affected by the storm. Most of the affected customers were near Plattsmouth in southeast Nebraska. As of 11:37 a.m., 27 customers remain without power.

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Nebraska

Mandatory evacuation orders for area near Crawford, Fort Robinson

Published

18 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

Mandatory evacuation orders for area near Crawford, Fort Robinson

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered near Crawford, including Fort Robinson State Park, as the South Fork Fire continues to spread in western Nebraska.

According to the City of Crawford, evacuations are currently underway for an area north of Crawford that includes the area south of Dodd Road, west of Dodd Road, and FF Street.

Fort Robinson has also been evacuated.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said Fort Robinson State Park and Peterson Wildlife Management Area have been temporarily closed due to the fire.

The fire has burned approximately 9,000 acres and is currently 0% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Nebraska Game and Parks said the park and the WMA will remain closed until further notice to support firefighting operations and protect public safety.

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Nebraska

Nebraska State Runner-up and Futures Finalist Matt Brailita (2026) to Swim for Johns Hopkins

Published

1 day ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska State Runner-up and Futures Finalist Matt Brailita (2026) to Swim for Johns Hopkins

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Omaha, Nebraska native Matt Brailita is headed to Baltimore in the fall. He announced his commitment to Johns Hopkins University earlier this spring, writing on social media:

“I am very excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Johns Hopkins University ! I’m extremely grateful for everything my family, friends, and teammates have done to support me every step of the way. A special thanks to Coach Tom and Coach Andy for always pushing me beyond what I believed in. Also a huge thanks to Coach Scott and Coach Chris for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime. GO BLUE JAYS!”

Brailita swam for Omaha’s Millard North High School under coach Andy Cunningham. He wrapped up his senior season with a pair of runner-up finishes at the 2026 NSAA Championships, earning lifetime-best times in both the 200 IM (1:50.84) and 100 breast (56.01). He also notched a PB in the 50 free (20.76) while leading off Millard North’s 200 free relay in prelims. He anchored the same relay in finals, splitting 20.01. Brailita leaves Millard North High School as a 10-time State medalist and a multiple-event team record-holder. He was 2026 Metro Conference champion in the 100 fly and as a member of 2 relays, and he was nominated for Metro Omaha World Herald Swimming Athlete Scholar.

Brailita swims year-round with Greater Omaha Aquatic Leopardsharks under coach Tom Beck. In addition to IM and breast, he excels in fly and free. In March, he competed at Columbia Sectionals, where he finaled in the 50 free (15th), 100 breast (11th), 50 fly (8th), 100 fly (10th), and swam prelims in the 50 breast (8th) and 200 IM (10th). He left the meet with new PBs in the 100 free (46.30), 50 breast (26.25), 50 fly (22.51), and 100 fly (49.86).

Last summer, Brailita hit LCM lifetime bests in the 50 breast (30.81), 100 breast (1:06.84), 200 breast (2:29.93), and 200 IM (2:11.12) at Madison Futures, making finals in the IM. He opened the 2026 long-course season with a pair of PBs (24.83 in the 50 free and 27.09 in the 50 fly) at the GOAL Sprint Cup in April.

Brailita will join the Blue Jays’ class of 2030 with Alistair Guth, Finn Nelson, Lukas Funderburk, Matthew Ko, Nicolas Aldana Huelga, Samuel Zhang, and William Thurk. His best times would have scored in the ‘A’ finals of the 200 IM, 100/200 breast, and 50/200 free, and the ‘B’ finals of the 100 free and 100 fly at the 2026 Centennial Conference Championships.

Best SCY times :

200 IM – 1:50.84
100 breast – 56.01
200 breast – 2:06.83
50 free – 20.76
50 free relay split – 20.01
100 fly – 49.86
200 free – 1:41.83
100 free – 46.30

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