medical cannabis supporters in Nebraska reached a procedural milestone Monday after the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission ratified the inspection of a licensed cultivator, clearing that operator to plant legally in the state for the first time. The four-member commission voted 4-0 to approve MahāMotā Cultivation Company’s inspection in Raymond.
Inspection and licensing details Commission members began meeting in June 2025 and have adopted temporary regulations that allow up to four product manufacturers, up to 12 transporters and up to 12 dispensaries. With MahāMotā’s inspection ratified, that company can begin planting under its state license. The commission will begin accepting applications for product manufacturers starting Wednesday and plans to solicit applicants for four weeks.
Commissioner Jim Elworth led a 3-1 vote to open the product-manufacturer application window immediately. Elworth said state appropriations for the commission’s work justified moving ahead before every final rule is complete. Commissioners intend to collect application fees once fee levels are set and applicants will then submit payments and updated documentation. Commission interim chair Lorelle Mueting voted no on opening applications immediately, citing concerns about fee collection and the four-week window length compared with the 19-day cultivator window used last fall.
Local zoning dispute halts second cultivator A separate licensed cultivator, KRL Med LLC, owned by former State Sen. Kent Rogert, cannot proceed because Washington County reversed an earlier determination that growers could use an agricultural exemption. Commission staff had scheduled an inspection for May 26, but the county’s planning and zoning administrator issued a stop-work order days before that inspection. Rogert said the county told him hemp would qualify for the exemption but marijuana would not.
Rogert reported his company cannot access the site or finish a greenhouse because of the stop-work order and is pursuing the county appeal process. Commissioners voted 4-0 to renew KRL Med LLC’s state license for six months while the local appeal proceeds.
Other cultivators and relocations Two other licensed cultivators remain in transition. Meadowlark Medicinals delayed its inspection; the commission did not specify why. Midwest Cultivator Group received approval from Gretna officials to move its licensed operation from Omaha to Gretna after encountering changing zoning requirements in Omaha. The company said it will aim to operate a minimal viable product after it clears inspection.
Regulatory timeline and outstanding signatures Commissioners approved a formal set of regulations in April and sent them to Attorney General Mike Hilgers for signature in mid-April. Hilgers, who publicly opposed the 2024 ballot measure that created the state medical cannabis system, has not signed the regulations. If he signs, Gov. Jim Pillen would also need to sign for the rules to take effect without an expiration date. Temporary regulations currently in place can be extended for up to 90 days.
Commissioners plan to amend the regulations again to add application fees after the rules receive required signatures. The commission scheduled its next meeting for 1 p.m. July 20, five days after the current temporary regulations expire.
Agency operations and staffing The commission will end a shared-services agreement with the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission this Friday that had provided office space and staff support for nearly a year. Three of the four current medical cannabis commissioners also serve on the Liquor Control Commission; Lorelle Mueting is the only commissioner who does not.
The commission is seeking permanent office space, pursuing changes to a downtown Lincoln lease for ongoing use of a hearing room, and has posted a job for an executive director with a hiring salary of $100,000. The commission also retained outside legal counsel; previously it had received legal assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services and from the Attorney General’s Office.
Political backdrop The medical cannabis implementation remains politically charged. Attorney General Hilgers joined sheriffs and law enforcement groups in opposing the 2024 ballot measure. Jocelyn Brasher, a Democrat and Hilgers’ general election opponent, attended Monday’s meeting and issued a statement criticizing delays in implementation and promising to “uphold the will of the people” on medical cannabis if elected.
What happens next Short-term actions that will affect rollout include resolution of local zoning disputes, the outcome of the Attorney General’s review and signature of the formal regulations, and the governor’s potential sign-off. Practically, the commission can accept product-manufacturer applications starting this week and will later collect fees once those amounts are set. Four product-manufacturer licenses are available under current agency rules; transport and retail caps remain at 12 licenses each.
The commission’s steps this month — ratifying the MahāMotā inspection, renewing a stalled license for six months, opening manufacturer applications and securing permanent staff and counsel — move parts of Nebraska’s medical cannabis program from planning into initial operations, but the program’s broader expansion depends on local zoning outcomes and the pending state regulatory sign-offs.
