The Nebraska Legislature Health and Human Services Committee discussed two bills during its session Thursday.
One of the bills would provide doctors who recommend medical marijuana to their patients protection from prosecution. In 2024, Nebraska voters approved medical marijuana.
Senator John Cavanaugh, who proposed the bill, said doctors are too cautious to prescribe unnecessary treatment and should be able to recommend medical cannabis without fear of retaliation.
Opponents of the bill are concerned patients will seek unnecessary medical marijuana recommendations from their health care providers.
Also discussed during Thursday's session was a bill that would restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to immigrants and refugees.
The bill would require the state department of health and human services to file a waiver for SNAP eligibility changes to the US Department of Agriculture for refugees and immigrants.
Multiple spokespeople for organizations that work with refugees expressed their concern about how even working families will go hungry or may not be able to restore SNAP benefits.
