Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana said it has reached a key milestone in its signature-gathering effort to put a pair of measures before voters this fall.
The ballot campaign committee said Thursday it has collected the signatures of 5% of voters in 38 of Nebraska's 93 counties — one of two major requirements to qualify the petitions.
Crista Eggers, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana's campaign manager, said reaching the multicounty requirement was a major focus for circulators this year after a 2022 effort fell short of qualifying the number needed.
"When we filed this new language, we decided we were going to go into the counties and work on that because you just can't wait until the last minute," Eggers said. "It definitely was the right approach and the right strategy."
Now, roughly a month and a half until the July 3 deadline, Eggers said Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana was shifting its focus to obtaining the roughly 87,000 signatures needed.
The campaign has about 55,000 signatures on each of its two petitions, according to Eggers. That's up from about 37,000 for each petition it had two months ago .
The first would protect doctors who recommend cannabis and patients who use cannabis for medical purposes, while the second legalizes production, supply and distribution of cannabis for medical purposes.
Circulators are now planning to shift their focus to the urban areas and population centers in the Cornhusker state to acquire the signatures of 7% of registered voters.
"We have a little over 50 days to collect the necessary bulk we need to withstand any challenge that will likely come our way over this," she said.
Eggers said the grassroots campaign, which is operating without major funding sources, has largely relied on volunteers to fan out across the state.
"Many, if not a good majority, are patients, caregivers, or parents like I am to a child who is at home needing this," Eggers said. "These are Nebraskans who desperately need and deserve access to this."
Having individuals who would stand to benefit from having access to cannabis for medical issues out collecting — what Eggers described as "horrifically beautiful" — has worked, but the campaign is leery of falling short once again .
In 2020, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana submitted more than 122,000 signatures to put an initiative before voters, but the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled the language violated the state's single-subject rule.
Two years later, the campaign fell about 8,000 votes short of qualifying for the ballot, including falling short of qualifying the necessary number of counties to meet the geographic requirement.
Eggers said the campaign feels good about qualifying 38 counties, but is still asking for help from circulators, notaries and donors to put the petitions over the top.
"We've never been sitting here on May 16 with our counties qualified," she said. "We're farther ahead than we've ever been, but there is not a place in the state we still do not need signatures from."
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Top Journal Star photos for May 2024
Norris' Crew Moeller (right) sticks out his tongue as he is pulled from the bottom of the dogpile by Alec Small (9) after winning the Class B state championship on Friday at Werner Park.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Lincoln East's Briana Rademacher (right) celebrates her #1 singles win with her sisters, Lincoln East's Belinda Rademacher (left) and Creighton's Bianca Rademacher (center right), after Briana defeated Elkhorn South's Ratna Kang (second from left) in a Class A state championship match, Friday, May 17, 2024, at Woods Tennis Center.
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Jesus, (from left) seven-month old Lucia, 2-year-old Evelyn and Llana Meza have fun on a play set at the future space of Little Beans Play Café on Thursday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
McCool Junction's Ryland Garretson (right) celebrates after winning the Class D boys 400-meter relay at the state track and field meet on Saturday at Burke Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Millard West players dogpile on the field after defeating Lincoln East in the Class A state championship on Friday at Werner Park.
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St. Paul's Christopher Thomas (bottom) collapses after he dives for the finish line to win the Class C boys 800 meter run during the fourth day state track on Saturday at Burke Stadium.
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Sidney's Chloe Ahrens (center) celebrates winning the girls class B 100 meter hurdles during the second day of the 2024 State Track and Field championships on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at Burke Stadium in Omaha.
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Mount Michael's Jackson Teetor (9) is tagged out at home plate by Malcolm catcher Luke Schmidt in the third inning during the Class C state championship on Friday at Werner Park.
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Mount Michael's Barrett Sykora (2) is comforted by Rocco Zimmerman (22) and Jack Stanek (16) after Malcolm wins in the bottom of the seventh inning during the Class C state championship on Friday at Werner Park.
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Lincoln Southwest's Clara Fundus (center) is swarmed by her team after Fundus and the Silver Hawks defeated Lincoln Pius X in a penalty-kick shootout for the Class A title Monday at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Pole vaulters line up before the class C girls pole vault event during the 2024 State Track and Field championships on Friday, May 17, 2024, at Burke Stadium in Omaha.
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Waverly's Avery Scott clears the bar in the girls pole vault during the state track and field meet Wednesday at Burke Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
From left, Anita Rivera of Leawood, Kan. and Nancy Troyer of Kansas City, Kan. shop at Calico House, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Lincoln.
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Gretna East's Thomas Smith (first left) races over hurdles beside Norris' Brady Wilkinson in the 110 high hurdles preliminary during the first day of Class A & B state track at Omaha Burke Stadium on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
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Lincoln Southeast's Davieian Williams lands in the sandpit while competing in the boys triple jump during the first day of Class A & B state track at Omaha Burke Stadium on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
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Luke Fischer, 3, gets a voting sticker from his grandmother, Anne Hubbell, after already attended voting with his grandfather on Tuesday at IBEW Local 265 in Lincoln.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
The northern lights are seen over Touhy, about 25 miles north of Lincoln, in this long exposure photo captured early Saturday morning.
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Dust hangs in the air as Lincoln East's Dele Odulate (4) celebrates with Chase Nelson (8) and his team after scoring the game-winning run against Millard North in a Class A state baseball game Friday at Werner Park in Papillion.
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Volunteers (left) Lindsey Clausen and Thomas Fische put on adhesive to seal a mural on the west wall of the Lied Center for Performing Arts, Sunday, May 12, 2024. The painted mural by McKenzie Phelps is a representation of the quilt "Lincoln" in the permanent collection of International Quilt Museum by artist Kim Soper.
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Lincoln Pius X's Gabby Tanner (left) embraces Grace Diederich (first left) after Diederich's goal against Omaha Marian in a Class A state semifinal game Friday at Morrison Stadium.
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North Star High School senior Julio Ramirez practices skateboard tricks during Skate Art Music Fest on Friday at The Bay. Juniors at the Bay High Focus Program organize the one-night-only event featuring arts and crafts, apparels, music and skating.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
People gather together to listen to a performance by jazz trio The Lightning Bugs as a part of CenterPointe's summer concert series on Wednesday at its Campus for Health & WellBeing at 2202 S. 11th St., which CenterPointe moved to last year. The free concerts, which feature local bands and food trucks, will be held every second Wednesday of the month from May through September.
KATY COWELL, Journal Star
Lincoln Southwest celebrates a goal scored by Dean Perrin (18) during a Class A boys state soccer tournament game against Columbus on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
John Howell (center) and his girlfriend, Emilia Wright, greet the motorcyclists who escorted Howell home from the hospital Thursday. Howell was riding his motorcycle through the intersection of South 33rd Street and Nebraska Parkway just after 5:30 p.m. on April 4 when he collided with a minivan that had failed to yield the right of way. He suffered numerous injuries and was in the hospital for more than a month.
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Lincoln Southwest's Landon Sandy (left) talks with teammate Dayton Engelbart during the A-6 district championship on Saturday at Sherman Field.
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Beatrice's Austin Baldwin (right) kicks up dust as he celebrates reaching third base off a hit against Waverly during a Class B state baseball tournament game on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at Werner Park in Papillion.
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Lincoln East's Leila Nachi (3) and Elizabeth Burhoop (1) celebrate a goal scored by Burhoop as Gretna's Gabby Herfindahl (right) reacts during a Class A girls state soccer tournament game on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Harver Eacker, 1, of Kearney, sleeps on her grandma Theresa Crites' shoulder during the spring match against Denver on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the UNK Health and Sports Center.
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Mid-Plains Community College's Kahiwa Agustiro digs his boots into the dirt as he tries to bring down a steer in the steer wrestling competition during the UNL Cornhusker College Rodeo at the Sandhills Global Event Center on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Lincoln.
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Paul Swope (left) and Micah Leamer listen as pianist Paul Barnes performs inside "Greenpoint," the Richard Serra steel sculpture next to the Mueller Tower on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus on Wednesday. The performance was a tribute to Serra, who died in March, and informally kicked off Lincoln Calling, the multi-day music festival in downtown Lincoln that runs Friday through Saturday.
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Lynn Larsen of Waverly, dressed as Jesus, reminds runners that the end is near during the Lincoln Marathon on Sunday.
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Lincoln East's Owen Laessig (left) chest bumps Kai Burkey (first left) after scoring a run in the sixth inning during the class A-1 championship game at Den Hartog Field on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Lincoln.
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Sen. Beau Ballard (left) shakes hands with Robert Kucera as he knocks on doors in the Ashley Heights Neighborhood on Friday in Lincoln. All three candidates vying to represent District 21 in the Legislature have placed an emphasis on the value of face-to-face interactions.Â
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska's Jackson Brockett (33) celebrates after pitching a no-hitter against Kansas State on Wednesday at Haymarket Park. The last Nebraska no-hitter before Brockett's was in 1954.
KATY COWELL, Journal Star
Matthew Alwyer holds a box of plants while his wife, Joni, arranges pitcher sage among other plants during a Nebraska Statewide Arboretum members-only plant sale at a new greenhouse on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus.
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DC West pitcher William Reeves (right) embraces catcher Roen Murdock after defeating Lincoln Lutheran in the C-6 district final, Friday, May 3, 2024, at Sherman Field.
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A cat sits on the sidewalk as Seth Derner, a District 21 legislative candidate, goes door-to-door to speak with potential voters in north Lincoln on April 24.
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Dozens of student demonstrators gathered at the Nebraska Union on Wednesday to demand the University of Nebraska cut economic and social ties with Israel in protest of the ongoing war.
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Lincoln Southwest's goalie Dylan Beiermann (1) uses his body to block a goal attempt during the game against Grand Island on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Seacrest Field.
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Mayah Kasaty, 12, works on her homework inside of a reading nook on Monday, April 29, 2024, at Rose Cat Coffee Co. near 48th and Old Cheney road.
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Nebraska's Dante Dowdell (left) carries the ball as he is defended by teammate Willis McGahee during the Red-White Spring Game, Saturday, April 27, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
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Ally Mercer (from left), Gabe Sedlacek, Kaleb Andersen and Austin Young watch a tornado from the seventh floor of the 18th and Q streets parking garage on Friday in Lincoln.
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Gov. Jim Pillen joins members of the UNL Rodeo Team on horseback for a ride around the Governor's Mansion on Monday to proclaim Rodeo Week in Nebraska and promote the upcoming Nebraska Cornhusker College Rodeo, which will be Friday and Saturday at the Sandhills Global Event Center in Lincoln.
KATY COWELL, Journal Star
Memorial Stadium is reflected in the visor of Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola before the Red-White Spring Game, Saturday, April 27, 2024.
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Lincoln Southeast's Immanuel Wayoro (left) is defended by Grand Island's Cody Garrett, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Beechner Athletic Complex.
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Damage from the tornado on Friday, April 26, 2024, looking north toward Waverly near 98th and Fletcher Street.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Nebraska's Tristan Alvano (left) tackles Jacory Barney Jr. (89) on a kick return during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
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Nebraska's Dante Dowdell (right) picks up a pass and is defended by teammate Jeremiah Charles during the Red-White Spring Game, Saturday, April 27, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
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Lincoln Southeast's Kadin Logan kicks up sand after landing in the sand pit on his second attempt in the boys long jump competition during the Lincoln Public Schools track and field championships at UBT Stadium on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
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Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com .
On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS
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