Medicinal hemp oil bill withdrawn

Senators voted to withdraw a bill from consideration Feb. 4 that would have permitted use of hemp oil in Nebraska for medical purposes.

LB1102, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Sue Crawford, would have allowed the use of hemp oil extract in Nebraska for medicinal purposes. Only patients with debilitating and chronic medical conditions who suffer seizures or muscle spasms would have been eligible for the treatment.

Crawford said she introduced the bill after meeting a family whose son suffered seizures that were resistant to traditional treatments. Crawford said she intended to pursue the bill if at least one epilepsy specialist in Nebraska was willing to support the law and prescribe the oil for patients.

Despite promising research and legislative efforts in other states advocating the use of hemp oil for epilepsy treatment, Crawford said, “at this time, these physicians in our state are not ready to do that.”

Crawford said she would introduce a legislative resolution calling for an interim study on hemp oil, its use in treating epilepsy and its decriminalization in other states.

Senators voted 41-0 to withdraw the bill.