LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A political party focused on legalizing marijuana can now run candidates and claim registered voters in Nebraska after it gained official state recognition on Wednesday.
Secretary of State Bob Evnen said the Legal Marijuana NOW Party has met the requirements to qualify as a political party. The designation allows voters to register with the party, and party officials can nominate candidates for partisan offices.
Activists Mark Elworth Jr. and Krystal Gabel, who frequently run for public office, said they collected more than 10,000 signatures over four years to gain party status. Approximately 6,800 signatures were needed.
State law requires petition circulators to gather signatures equal to at least 1% of the total votes cast in the most recent governor’s race in each of Nebraska’s three congressional districts.
