The growers supporting Nebraska's emerging medical cannabis market could be facing significant delays in testing for their crops.
According to Nebraska Public Media, The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission this week informed licensed cultivators that it could be up to two years before the state is ready to test cannabis. As in most legal markets, testing is required for any Nebraska cannabis before it can be distributed and sold.
With testing regulations, along with rules for manufacturing and distribution, still in development, Nebraska growers are being told to store their product for an extended period of time.
Mahamota Cultivation Company, one of Nebraska's first growers with plants in the ground, said its plants will be ready for harvest within the next two months. But it warned that its product could degrade if it's stored for too long.
The regulatory delays join the list of other complaints from growers, who recently sent a joint letter to object to high fees. The state's four licensed cultivators have asked for those fees to be deferred until a clear regulatory framework is adopted.
“Aligning regulatory fees with a viable path to revenue will help Nebraska’s licensed operators remain financially sustainable and preserve progress already made,” the cultivators wrote. “Without that alignment, the proposed fees could put existing businesses at risk…further delaying patient access," the growers wrote.
