Supporters of medical marijuana in Nebraska are preparing to make their case before legislators in the Unicameral next month. Ben Marksmeier of Wisner lost a leg in a roadside bombing in Iraq while serving with the Nebraska National Guard in 2006. Marksmeier says he was prescribed and used other opiate medications in the past but has better pain control with medical marijuana…..

Marksmeier, who was a member of the 189th Transportation Company based in Norfolk, is supporting a bill to legalize cannabis for medical use in Nebraska. The bill, from Senator Tommy Garrett of Bellevue, won first round approval in this past year’s session but was held over to the 2016 legislature.

Garrett says marijuana is more effective for a variety of conditions than many FDA-approved drugs, and it has fewer side effects….

Garrett says Nebraskans with chronic medical conditions like seizure disorders and Crohn’s Disease should not have to become “medical refugees” to get appropriate treatment.