Nebraska voters passed Initiatives 437 and 438 in November 2024 to create a medical cannabis program. Lincoln cannot establish dispensary buffer zones until the state Medical Cannabis Commission adopts licensing rules.
Nebraska Initiative 437 legalized possession and use of medical cannabis by qualifying patients, and Initiative 438 created the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to license growers and dispensaries. The Commission is in rulemaking as of 2026. Lincoln has not adopted permanent buffer zones from schools, parks, or daycares because state regulations were still pending. The Lincoln City Council may impose locally adopted buffers (typically 500 to 1,000 feet) once state licensing opens. Recreational cannabis remains illegal in Nebraska, and Lincoln Police continue to enforce LMC and state misdemeanor possession statutes for non-medical use.
Operating a dispensary without a state license, or within any future Lincoln buffer once adopted, is unlawful and subject to closure and prosecution.
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See how Lincoln's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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