Despite a rush of support in the final weeks of its campaign, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana fell short of qualifying for the ballot this November for the second straight election cycle.
Both petitions seeking to legalize cannabis use for medical purposes needed roughly 9,000 more valid signatures to meet the 86,766 needed to qualify for the general election ballot.
The results, announced by Secretary of State Bob Evnen on Monday, follow a grassroots effort by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, which shifted to an all-volunteer format after losing two large donors earlier this year.
While petition circulators were able to submit more than 90,000 signatures for each initiative at the July 7 deadline, nearly 13,000 names were thrown out after a review by county election officials.
The first petition obtained the signatures of 5% of voters in 26 counties; the second in 27 counties, which did not meet the rule that has been in place for more than a century, the secretary of state said.
Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart, who co-sponsored the petitions, said Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana will request a review of the signature verification effort before it determines its next steps.
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