A ruling by a judge on Monday has brought Nebraska closer to the legalization of medical marijuana. The discussion revolved around whether the advocates adhered to the legal requirements for collecting signatures necessary to include the legalization measure on the ballot for November 5.

The ruling from Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong was a significant win for those supporting medical marijuana, yet it is anticipated that opponents may seek to challenge the decision in the state Supreme Court.

During the November 5 elections, over two-thirds of voters in Nebraska voiced their support for legalization, and the official results are set to be certified on December 2.

Secretary of State Bob Evnen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers have pointed out issues related to the signature collection process, arguing that these irregularities should prevent the ballot measures from reaching voters. There was an incident involving a petition circulator in Grand Island, who faced criminal charges for allegedly falsifying 164 signatures. Additionally, Evnen, Hilgers, and former state Senator John Kuehn have raised concerns regarding the proper notarization of other signatures.

In response, the group known as Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana contended in court that even if some signatures had discrepancies, they still surpassed the necessary threshold of 86,000 valid signatures. The organization claimed to have gathered approximately 114,000 signatures to facilitate the use of marijuana for medical purposes and to establish a governing commission for its regulation.