LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Medical cannabis has technically been legal in Nebraska for some time — but patients still haven’t been able to access it. That could start to change, after the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission took a key step forward Thursday.

In its second-ever meeting, the commission adopted emergency regulations governing the cultivation, transport and distribution of medical marijuana. The move comes just days before the July 1 deadline to have rules in place.

However, the regulations were adopted without allowing public comment beforehand.

“We’ve seen these about 12 hours before you did,” one commissioner said during the meeting, raising concerns about transparency and timing.

Under the emergency rules, smoking or vaping medical cannabis will not be allowed. Products also cannot contain any natural or artificial flavors or colors, nor can they be infused into food or drinks.

Distribution will also be limited. Only one dispensary will be allowed in each of Nebraska’s 12 judicial districts. Each facility must be located at least 1,000 feet from any school, hospital, or church.

While some medical cannabis supporters say the regulations provide a workable foundation, they also flagged what they consider to be major problems—especially in how cannabis can be dispensed.

“There are some concerns about the limitation and excluding of product of raw plant or whole plant flour of cannabis, which is exclusively part of Statute 437. The Patient Protection Act,” said Crista Eggers, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana. “So huge problems there.”

Despite the lack of initial input, the commission says it is now seeking public feedback before finalizing permanent rules, which are required by October.

Jim Wilson, a member of the Nebraska Pharmacist Association, stressed the importance of pharmacist involvement in patient care.

“Taking that medical cannabis, if it’s proper and so forth, a pharmacist needs to advise that patient on potential other effects of it… and also looking for drug interactions with other medications,” Wilson said.

The commission has not responded to questions about who authored the draft regulations or when members received them.

According to the Nebraska Examiner, the next meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 4.

Those wishing to weigh in on the proposed rules can email comments to: LCC.frontdesk@nebraska.gov. Rules begin on page 10 of the document below.

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