Federal update: DOJ partially rescheduled medical cannabis to Schedule III (April 28, 2026 final order). State-licensed medical operators may apply for expedited DEA registration through June 27, 2026; DEA hearing on full rescheduling set for June 29, 2026.
Your complete guide to cannabis in the Cornhusker State Official NMCC / NLCC data · No product sales · TryCannabis.org

Pillen / Hilgers / Kuehn / Evnen — The NE Anti-Implementation Leadership

Nebraska’s anti-implementation coalition: Gov. Jim Pillen (R, inaugurated Jan 5, 2023) opposed I-437/438 but signed proclamation December 12, 2024 with joint statement questioning validity; took slightly more pragmatic stance than Hilgers (signed emergency rules June 29, 2025; supplemental funding $1.38M + $1M; executive-branch staff assistance). AG Mike Hilgers (R, elected 2022): principal architect; "I think two plus two is four"; threatened Commission litigation; led 204+ cease-and-desist letter campaign against hemp retailers. Sec. of State Bob Evnen (R) named defendant in Kuehn v. Evnen. Former Sen. John Kuehn (R, Heartwell): lead plaintiff in both lawsuits.

Last verified: May 2026

Gov. Jim Pillen (R)

Jim Pillen took office as Nebraska’s 41st governor on January 5, 2023. Owner of Pillen Family Farms (one of the nation’s largest pork producers); former University of Nebraska Regent. Pillen opposed I-437/438 during the campaign. After voters approved the measures Nov 5, 2024:

  • December 12, 2024: Pillen signed required constitutional proclamation, with joint statement (with AG Hilgers) "cautioning the public to the limited nature of these proclamations" and stating "serious issues remain regarding the validity of these petitions under federal law and the Nebraska Constitution."
  • June 29, 2025: Pillen signed the Medical Cannabis Commission emergency regulations to meet the I-438 July 1, 2025 statutory deadline.
  • 2025: Pillen requested resignations from all three previous Liquor Control commissioners, contributing to the October 2025 commission rebuild.
  • 2025-26: Pillen approved supplemental budget funding ($1.38M FY 2025-26 + $1M FY 2026-27).
  • April 2026: Pillen pending signature on April 13, 2026 formal regulations.

Pillen’s posture is more pragmatic than Hilgers’s but consistently opposes substantive expansion. Pillen has stated federal Schedule III rescheduling "would not alter the work of the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission."

Pillen on the Omaha Tribe Title 51: "There’s not going to be Nebraskans going into the Omaha Tribe and buying recreational marijuana. We’ll take whatever steps it is to keep our state in the values and keep that from happening."

Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly serves as Lieutenant Governor. Former Lancaster County Attorney. Has not been a leading voice on cannabis but reflects the administration’s general skepticism.

AG Mike Hilgers (R)

Mike Hilgers serves as Nebraska Attorney General, elected 2022. Former Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature. Hilgers is the principal architect of state-level cannabis opposition:

  • Cross-claim in Kuehn v. Evnen: aligned with private plaintiff Kuehn to challenge petition validity.
  • September 13, 2024 Class IV felony charge against Egbert in conjunction with Hall County Attorney Marty Klein.
  • March 20, 2025 Omaha cease-and-desist campaign: 104 letters to hemp retailers.
  • June 18, 2025 Lincoln cease-and-desist campaign: 82 letters; "nearly every one of these products were mislabeled."
  • September 29, 2025 outstate campaign: 12 additional letters.
  • 16+ lawsuits filed against retailers with civil penalties up to $4,000 per individual sale.
  • November 2025 tobacco-tax-compact suspension against Omaha Tribe in retaliation for Title 51.
  • Threatened Commission litigation if dispensary licenses issued.

Hilgers has stated: "I think two plus two is four, even if everyone else says two plus two is five."

Sec. of State Bob Evnen (R)

Bob Evnen serves as Nebraska Secretary of State. Named defendant in Kuehn v. Evnen (Sept 12, 2024 filing) for the procedural posture of his office certifying the I-437/438 signatures. Substantively aligned with Hilgers and Kuehn throughout the litigation, despite procedural-defendant status. The Secretary of State’s office certified 89,962 valid signatures for I-437 and 89,856 for I-438 — narrow margins above the 86,499 constitutional minimum that became the focus of the Kuehn fraud-bulk-invalidation theory.

Former Sen. John Kuehn (R, Heartwell)

John Kuehn of Heartwell — former Republican state senator (served 2013-2017) and former State Board of Health member — is the lead plaintiff in both:

  • Kuehn v. Evnen (signature-validity, filed Sept 12, 2024; pending NE Supreme Court appeal heard Dec 3, 2025).
  • Kuehn v. Lippincott et al. (federal preemption, filed Dec 10, 2024; standing dismissed June 26, 2025; on appeal heard April 27, 2026).

Kuehn’s litigation has been the most active anti-cannabis-petition private effort in Nebraska through three ballot cycles. See Kuehn v. Evnen page.

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R)

Pete Ricketts is Nebraska’s junior U.S. Senator (appointed January 2023 to fill the seat vacated by Ben Sasse, then elected to a full term in November 2024). Former Governor of Nebraska (2015-2023; signed LB 657 hemp law in 2019). Ricketts has been a consistent cannabis opponent in both state and federal roles:

  • April 20, 2026: Ricketts joined U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) to introduce the "Marijuana Impact on Medicaid Act of 2026" requiring HHS to report on Medicaid costs related to marijuana ER visits.

Anti-Reform State Senators

Leading legislative opponents of LB 677 (2025) and proponents of LB 316 (2025) hemp ban:

  • Sen. Kathleen Kauth (R-Omaha-Millard area) — LB 316 sponsor.
  • Sen. Jared Storm (R-David City) — LB 316 priority sponsor.
  • Sen. Bob Andersen (R, north-central Sarpy).
  • Sen. Barry DeKay (R-Niobrara).
  • Sen. Mike Jacobson (R-North Platte).
  • Sen. Bob Hallstrom (R-Syracuse).
  • Sen. Beau Ballard (R-Lincoln).

Anti-Reform Civil-Society Organizations

  • Nebraska Family Alliance (Lincoln-based Christian conservative advocacy) — opposed all medical-cannabis legislation as "gateway" to recreational use.
  • Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) — national organization with Nebraska chapters.
  • Heartland Family Service (Mueting’s employer) — formally opposes legalization "in any form for medical purposes" without federal approval. Mueting’s Interim Chair role on Medical Cannabis Commission is the central conflict-of-interest concern of advocates.
  • Tom Safranek — former longtime Nebraska state epidemiologist; testified against LB 677 citing potential "societal damage."
  • Aaron Hanson — Douglas County Sheriff; among the dozen-plus law enforcement officials who joined Hilgers’s May 2025 anti-LB-677 news conference.

The 2026 Election Cycle

Pillen is up for reelection in 2026 (4-year term ends January 2027). The 2026 Republican primary may include candidates from his right (anti-establishment), the left (more moderate), and from the cannabis-prosecution scandal context (Jacy Todd was a primary candidate, ended after February 2026 conviction). Hilgers is term-limited or election-cycle-bound (NE AG is 4-year term elected in midterm cycles); his next political move is uncertain. Ricketts faces full-term election cycle pressure as senior senator. Pillen on cannabis posture in 2026: continues to "take whatever steps" to limit program expansion.

For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org

Related on this site: NE Reform Coalition: Hansen, LB 1235 (2026), LB 677 (2025).