Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Advocates for a "greener" third-party were in Scottsbluff Thursday and Friday, collecting signatures to get the Legal Marijuana Now party on the ballot in Nebraska.
Legal Marijuana Now is a political third-party in the United States established in 1998 to oppose drug prohibition. Its goal is to get pro-marijuana candidates into elections and voters into polling places.
"Nebraska is really difficult to get a ballot initiative, like a constitutional amendment or referendum, on the ballot," Omaha resident Krystal Gabel from Legal Marijuana Now Nebraska said. "You collect signatures, and they deny access."
Rather than trying to repeat the same past mistakes with referendums, Gabel and fellow Omaha resident Mark Elworth Jr. are taking a different route and have been trying to petition and activate voters.
"We think there's another way around it – it's getting candidates on the ballot and bringing out voters to vote for third-party," Gabel said. "We're basically in a one-party state, and so many people don't even come out and vote."
Legal Marijuana Now has tried for years to get the party on the Nebraska ballot, but it hasn't been an easy fight.
"Last year we turned in our petition, the state invalidated the signatures," Elworth said. "Last year we turned in 9,000 signatures, and we needed 5,600 good ones. They said we had about 5,000 wrong, so they discounted a lot of those."
Elworth said they were going to re-do the petition, this time with a 15,000-signature goal in mind. In the last two days, they've garnered about 200 signatures.
"We're in a lot better shape for next year," Elworth said. "We feel like they cheated us last year."
Gabel and Elworth have both been in races for city council in Omaha. In the 2016 national election, Elworth appeared on ballots in Iowa and Minnesota as a vice-presidential candidate for the Legal Marijuana Now party along with Dan Vacek of Minnesota.
Pro-marijuana efforts have also been making it through the Nebraska Legislature. This session, Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, introduced LB 622, which would legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska. The Legislature's Judiciary Committee advanced the bill, 6-1, and has an amendment pending in committee.
"There is an opioid problem, and there are good Nebraskans who don't want to be on drugs, they don't want have a drug problem, and they trust their doctors," Elowrth said. "We feel medical marijuana is a safer alternative, and I hope the governor changes his mind."
If Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts opts to veto LB 622, Gabel plans on challenging him in the 2018 race for governor, should the petition get the Legal Marijuana Now party on the ballot.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Legalize Marijuana Now advocates petition to get pro-marijuana third-party on the ballot | Local News | starherald.com
Author: SPIKE JORDAN
Contact: news@starherald.com
Photo Credit: Bill Roth
Website: starherald.com | Pride in the Panhandle
Legal Marijuana Now is a political third-party in the United States established in 1998 to oppose drug prohibition. Its goal is to get pro-marijuana candidates into elections and voters into polling places.
"Nebraska is really difficult to get a ballot initiative, like a constitutional amendment or referendum, on the ballot," Omaha resident Krystal Gabel from Legal Marijuana Now Nebraska said. "You collect signatures, and they deny access."
Rather than trying to repeat the same past mistakes with referendums, Gabel and fellow Omaha resident Mark Elworth Jr. are taking a different route and have been trying to petition and activate voters.
"We think there's another way around it – it's getting candidates on the ballot and bringing out voters to vote for third-party," Gabel said. "We're basically in a one-party state, and so many people don't even come out and vote."
Legal Marijuana Now has tried for years to get the party on the Nebraska ballot, but it hasn't been an easy fight.
"Last year we turned in our petition, the state invalidated the signatures," Elworth said. "Last year we turned in 9,000 signatures, and we needed 5,600 good ones. They said we had about 5,000 wrong, so they discounted a lot of those."
Elworth said they were going to re-do the petition, this time with a 15,000-signature goal in mind. In the last two days, they've garnered about 200 signatures.
"We're in a lot better shape for next year," Elworth said. "We feel like they cheated us last year."
Gabel and Elworth have both been in races for city council in Omaha. In the 2016 national election, Elworth appeared on ballots in Iowa and Minnesota as a vice-presidential candidate for the Legal Marijuana Now party along with Dan Vacek of Minnesota.
Pro-marijuana efforts have also been making it through the Nebraska Legislature. This session, Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, introduced LB 622, which would legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska. The Legislature's Judiciary Committee advanced the bill, 6-1, and has an amendment pending in committee.
"There is an opioid problem, and there are good Nebraskans who don't want to be on drugs, they don't want have a drug problem, and they trust their doctors," Elowrth said. "We feel medical marijuana is a safer alternative, and I hope the governor changes his mind."
If Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts opts to veto LB 622, Gabel plans on challenging him in the 2018 race for governor, should the petition get the Legal Marijuana Now party on the ballot.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Legalize Marijuana Now advocates petition to get pro-marijuana third-party on the ballot | Local News | starherald.com
Author: SPIKE JORDAN
Contact: news@starherald.com
Photo Credit: Bill Roth
Website: starherald.com | Pride in the Panhandle
