Prosecutors Looking to Prove Signatures for Medical Marijuana Petition Drives are Invalid

LINCOLN–(KFOR Oct. 30)–The first day of a trial over the validation of two medical marijuana petitions to appear on the November 5 ballot started Tuesday in Lancaster County District Court.

At stake are roughly 100,000 signatures between both medical marijuana ballot petitions. The signatures were called into question by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Secretary of State Bob Evnen after a petition circulator and notary were charged in recent weeks. Hilgers’ office alleges that thousands of signatures were notarized by notaries outside the presence of their circulator.

Prosecutors are trying to prove it happened and that it should therefore disqualify both medical marijuana petitions.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana submitted roughly 114,000 signatures for both of its petitions in legalization and regulation. Of those signatures, nearly 90,000 were accepted by the Secretary of State. The trial runs through Thursday and Friday.