The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska became the first government in Nebraska on Tuesday to fully legalize and seek to regulate both medicinal and adult-use cannabis. The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska announced the "historic" decision Tuesday, touting a unanimous vote of the Omaha Tribal Council that it said in a statement positions the tribe as a "trailblazer" in state cannabis reform. The approval also seeks to have the Omaha Tribe reclaim its "rightful place as a leader in regional governance and economic innovation."
"The Omaha Tribe is not waiting on broken systems to deliver," Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Attorney General John Cartier said in a statement. "We are asserting our sovereign right to govern, protect our community and build a sustainable economy that reflects our values."
The law immediately took effect Tuesday.
The new Title 51 Cannabis Control Code of the Omaha Tribal Code establishes extensive licensing, advertising, testing, enforcement, education, seed-to-sale tracking and other requirements, according to a copy shared with the Nebraska Examiner.
The law states the cannabis plant has been on the continent for centuries and that Indigenous people have long used plant-based substances for healing, spiritual and ceremonial purposes, the code states. Tribal leaders hope to generate revenue and create employment while investing in health, education, housing and infrastructure.
Read more at Nebraska Examiner
