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Nebraska Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2026)
| Nebraska Marijuana Legalization Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2026 | |
| Topic Marijuana laws | |
| Status Cleared for signature gathering | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The Nebraska Marijuana Legalization Initiative may appear on the ballot in Nebraska as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.
The initiative would amend the state constitution to establish a right to the use of marijuana for recreational purposes for individuals 21 years of age or older.[1][2]
Text of measure
Object statement
The object statement on the circulating petition was:[1]
| “ | The object of the Nebraska Cannabis Initiative Petition is to amend the Constitution of the State of Nebraska by adding a new section 32 in Article I which states that all persons twenty-one years of age or older have the right to use all plants in the genus Cannabis.[3] | ” |
Full text
- The full text of the initiative is available here.
Path to the ballot
The state process
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In Nebraska, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 10% of registered voters at the signature deadline. Nebraska also has a distribution requirement that requires initiative proponents to collect signatures from 5% of the registered voters in two-fifths (38) of Nebraska's 93 counties. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval. However, the number of affirmative votes cast for the measure must be greater than 35% of the total votes cast in the election. This also applies to legislative referrals.
The requirements to get an initiated constitutional amendment certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 10 percent of registered voters at the time of the petition filing deadline
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures is July 3, 2026.
Stages of this ballot initiative
The following is the timeline of the initiative:
- August 18, 2025: The initiative was filed by Bill Hawkins.[2]
See also
View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska's ballot measure history, including
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nebraska Secretary of State, "Full text," accessed August 28, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nebraska Secretary of State's Office, "Current Petitions in Circulation," accessed January 6, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
