The Nebraska Legislature today is discussing a variety of bills pertaining to opiates and marijuana.
In total, six were scheduled to be introduced:
- LB931 creates a seven-day duration cap on a prescription for an opiate issued to a person younger than age 19.
- LB832 removes from the definition of marijuana anything that is less than ten percent cannabinol by weight and 0.3 of 1 percent or less terahydrocannabinol by weight.
- LB970 will decrease penalties for a person caught with less than an ounce of marijuana with intent to deliver on a third offense.
- LB933 provides that practitioners notify patients of the risks of addiction and overdose when prescribing opioids or other controlled substances. Practitioners are required to notify the patient when the substance is initially prescribed and again prior to the third prescription.
- LB971 reduces the penalty for possession of one gram or less of a controlled substance or 10 pills or less of a controlled substance from a Class IV felony to a Class I misdemeanor. This would treat people possessing small user amounts of controlled substances less harshly and reduce the burden of the criminal justice system and the Department of Correctional Services.
- LB906 is to update the Nebraska Uniform Controlled Substances Act to conform with the Federal Controlled Substances Act. LB906 adds language that will recognize the list of exempt products established by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
