Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party

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Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party
ChairpersonMark Elworth
Founded2016; 5 years ago (2016)
HeadquartersOmaha
IdeologyMarijuana legalization
Colors  Green, Gold, Red
Seats in the Senate
0 / 100
Seats in the House
0 / 435
Governorships
0 / 50
State Upper House Seats
0 / 1,972
State Lower House Seats
0 / 5,411
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Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW is a political third party in the U.S. state of Nebraska established in 2016 to oppose drug prohibition.[1] [2] The party shares many of the progressive values of the Farmer—Labor Party but with an emphasis on marijuana/hemp legalization issues.[3]

The Legal Marijuana NOW Party of Nebraska is an offshoot of the Grassroots Party,[4] and the organization traces their roots to the Youth International Party of the 1960s. Legal Marijuana Now is also active in other U.S. states, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

A primary goal of the Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party, aside from getting pro-cannabis candidates into office, is to increase voter turnout in elections.[5] Legal Marijuana Now is a social-democratic party that is anti-war, pro-labor and supports the rights of all minority groups.[6][7] The Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party promotes wise environmental stewardship, and denounces corporate personhood.

Platform[]

United States Bill of Rights[]

The permanent platform of the Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW party is the Bill of Rights.[8] All Legal Marijuana Now candidates would end marijuana/hemp prohibition, thus re-legalizing cannabis for all its uses.

[]

The party logo consists of a raised fist, superimposed with a cannabis leaf and the name of the party, Legal Marijuana NOW.

Name[]

The name of the party is from the Yippie chant, “What do we want?” “Legal marijuana.” “When do we want it?” “NOW!”[4]

The name Legal Marijuana NOW was chosen so that the message is clear and every vote would be counted as an unmistakable vote to legalize marijuana.[9] In Nebraska, the word “NOW!” in the party name is capitalized, indicating shouting.[10]

Ideology[]

The Legal Marijuana Now Party pledge[]

  • Legalize homegrown cannabis[11]
  • Erase past marijuana convictions[11]
  • Ban employment drug testing[11]
  • Abolish the Drug Enforcement Administration[3]

Philosophy[]

The Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party philosophy is from the Bible.[12] The Book of Revelation (22:2) states, “The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”

In a speech to the Saint Paul branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in October 2014, Legal Marijuana Now candidate for Attorney General of Minnesota, Dan Vacek, said, “Like alcohol prohibition, drug prohibition must be repealed and replaced by regulation, education, and moderation. When we take that step, we take the first step toward healing our nation.”[12]

Structure and composition[]

Movement[]

Grassroots organizations are associated with bottom-up rather than top-down decision making. The Legal Marijuana NOW Party of Nebraska seeks to engage ordinary people in political discourse to the greatest extent possible.[5][13]

Leadership[]

All decisions on important organizational and financial subjects must be reached by a leadership Head Council, which consists of Legal Marijuana NOW Party members with at least three consecutive years participation in the party and officers elected by the members at an annual convention held in April.[8]

History[]

Early history[]

The Youth International Party, formed in 1967 to advance the counterculture of the 1960s, often ran candidates for public office. The Yippie flag is a five-pointed star superimposed with a cannabis leaf.

The Grassroots Party was founded in Minnesota in 1986 and ran numerous candidates for state and federal offices. The party was active in Iowa, Minnesota, and Vermont.

In 1996 the Minnesota Grassroots Party split, forming the Independent Grassroots Party for one election cycle. John Birrenbach was the Independent Grassroots Presidential candidate and George McMahon was the Vice-presidential candidate.[14] Dan Vacek was the Independent Grassroots candidate for United States Representative, District 4, in 1996.

In 1998, members of the Independent Grassroots Party formed the Minnesota Legal Marijuana Now political party.[15] In New Jersey, the Legalize Marijuana Party was founded the same year.[16]

2014—2020[]

Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW supporter with cannabis peace flag at rally in Omaha on April 20, 2018

The Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party petitioned to be recognized as a major political party. That earned candidates inclusion in the official state voters guide. To make the ballot, Legal Marijuana NOW Party needed valid signatures equal to at least one-percent of the total votes cast for governor in 2014, or 5,397 signatures statewide. The party also needed to have a certain number of signatures from each of the state’s three congressional districts.[5]

In July, 2016, volunteers turned in 9,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State. However, the Secretary of State said that half of the signatures were invalid, falling short of the 5,397 needed.[17]

After failing to make it onto Nebraska ballots in 2016, party organizer Mark Elworth began circulating petitions for 2020 ballot access for a Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party in September, 2016.[1][2] Elworth said the group planned to collect double the number of signatures they submitted in 2016, to ensure their success. In September 2017, Elworth told a television reporter that Legal Marijuana NOW Party had gathered signatures of 10,000 registered Nebraska voters.[18][19][20]

Legal Marijuana Now Party qualified to be an official major party in the state of Minnesota in the November 6, 2018, election, when their candidate for state auditor, African-American businessman Michael Ford, received 133,900 votes, more than 5 percent, giving Minnesota Legal Marijuana Now candidates ballot access.[21]

Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party leaders submitted their petition to the Secretary of State on September 18, 2020. The party needed to collect the signatures of 6,800 registered Nebraska voters in order to qualify as an official state party. According to Elworth, they turned in 15,000 signatures, just to be safe.[22][23]

After 2020[]

The Nebraska Secretary of State initially told petition drive organizers, Elworth and Krystal Gabel, on January 7, 2021, that the Legal Marijuana NOW Party petition was short by 28 signatures from Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district, which includes Omaha.[24]

On April 21, 2021, after the Secretary of State reviewed some petition signatures that were challenged, Legal Marijuana NOW gained official recognition as a state political party in Nebraska, earning the party ballot access for their candidates, and allowing Legal Marijuana NOW Party to register voters.[25] Gabel, the national Legal Marijuana Now Party chairperson, told a reporter for the Star-Herald that the party is running several candidates in Nebraska at multiple levels of government, from United States Congress to local sheriffs.[10][26]

Larry Bolinger was nominated by Legal Marijuana NOW to run for Nebraska Attorney General in 2022. Bolinger, a resident of Alliance, Nebraska, focused on legalization of marijuana and expanding drug courts in the race to unseat Doug Peterson, who was seeking his third term as attorney general.[27][28]

Further reading[]

See also[]

  • Cannabis political parties of the United States

References[]

  1. ^ a b Pluhacek, Zach (September 14, 2016). "Marijuana groups already petitioning for 2018 ballot". Lincoln Journal Star.
  2. ^ a b Jordan, Spike (May 12, 2017). "Legalize Marijuana Now advocates petition to get pro-marijuana third-party on the ballot". Scottsbluff Star Herald.
  3. ^ a b Bloch, Emily (October 2, 2019). "Alternatives to the Two Major Political Parties, Explained". Teen Vogue.
  4. ^ a b Gettman, Jon (February 9, 2016). "Pot Matters: Minnesota Maverick Pushes Legalization Platform in Special Election". High Times.
  5. ^ a b c Stoddard, Martha (July 23, 2016). "Marijuana party seeks spot on ballot for presidential race". Omaha World-Herald.
  6. ^ Gemma, Peter B. (October 19, 2016). "Interview with Dan Vacek, Legal Marijuana Now Presidential Nominee". Independent Political Report.
  7. ^ Summers, Brandon (June 19, 2020). "Elworth leaving Democrats for Legal Marijuana Now Party". The Grand Island Independent. Elworth served before as 2016 vice presidential candidate for the LMN Party and achieved 10th place in the general election. “I wanted to help the Democrats out this time, but they were unable to give me any support at all,” he said. “I was all gung ho to win this race for them.” Elworth touted his record as a marijuana activist and third party candidate. He has also run as a Libertarian candidate and has supported the Green Party. “I consider myself pretty moderate on a lot of issues,” he said. “I’m a little conservative on money issues. I’m more liberal on social issues. I’m a constitutionalist. I believe in people’s rights and equal rights for everybody.” He added, “I’m not a true Democrat, but I’m not a Republican either.”
  8. ^ Harvieux, Vincent (May 3, 2018). "Joint Ops: Why Minnesota has two pro-marijuana parties". Perfect Duluth Day.
  9. ^ a b Garcia, Justin (May 3, 2021). "Legal Marijuana NOW party makes pitch to area voters". Star-Herald. Legal Marijuana NOW is more than a pipe dream. As of April 21, the party gained ballot recognition, the first step in becoming a major political party in Nebraska. Once achieved, LMN would have the same ballot access as Democrats and Republicans in Nebraska. That means they could run candidates without having to write in names on a ballot. About 1 in 3 Americans live in an area where marijuana is legal in 2021 after New Jersey, Arizona and Montana passed measures to legalize adult-use marijuana. Despite the namesake policy position of LMN, Gabel said the party’s goals are raising voter turnout and running pro-marijuana candidates. But securing LMN as a permanent fixture on Nebraska ballots must come first. “We have party ballot access for four years. In that time frame, we have to get 10,000 registered voters to become a permanent fixture on the ballot for upcoming elections,” Gabel told the Star-Herald as passing drivers honked their car horns in support. That process is moving smoothly so far, she said. In fact, Gabel said her party is running several candidates at multiple levels of government. From the U.S. Congress to local sheriffs, Gabel said no office is too big or too small for an LMN candidate. “If you can change your local attitude and be very accepting of pot — and in Nebraska, specifically — a place like Kearney could actually (decriminalize) on their own,” she said. Gabel said decriminalization of marijuana is a good first step to the ultimate goal of full legalization. “No more cops knocking on people’s doors, no more fear of getting pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt, and then they give you a pot ticket instead,” she said. While legal marijuana is often associated with blue states like California, Gabel said some of the party’s strongest support comes from Nebraska’s deep-red Third District. Gabel attributed the support to a general feeling of disenfranchisement in rural Nebraska. When her party was trying to collect the 6,800 signatures needed to get on the ballot, Gabel said people in the Third District were an easy sell. “It was four years getting signatures out of Omaha. That’s really the sticky point,” Gabel said, adding that fear of losing votes drives Omaha Democrats away from LMN. In western Nebraska, Gabel said Republican voters feel underserved and are more willing to consider what LMN has to offer.
  10. ^ a b c "Weg met Trump en Clinton, stem Legal Marijuana Now!". Rolling Stoned. October 19, 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Attorney General candidate Dan Vacek's October 30th address to the Saint Paul NAACP". facebook.com/LMN.USA. October 31, 2014.
  12. ^ Puniewska, Magdalena (June 4, 2018). "Inside the Strict, Unspoken Dress Code for Women Political Candidates: Women running for office are pushing boundaries, but their clothes can't". Racked.com.
  13. ^ Bickford, Bob (October 7, 1998). "1996 Presidential Election Results by State". Ballot Access News.
  14. ^ Busch, Andrew (October 1998). "A different kind of 'grass' roots: Candidate runs on pot platform". While most aspiring political careers would be ruined by criminal charges and the threat of a long prison sentence, Edward Forchion is still on the ballot for both Congress and Camden County freeholder. His black van, decorated with painted marijuana leaves and posters, can be spotted almost every night of the week in front of municipal buildings where meetings are being held, where he passes out literature and spreads his message. The Legalize Marijuana Party founder hopes his public advocacy for his cause and his duel candidacies for both congressman and freeholder will change some minds and help alleviate his legal woes. Forchion hopes to unseat U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews, D-1st Dist., and takes one of Camden County's top posts by appealing to pot smokers and First Amendment advocates who believe the government has no right to tell people they can't smoke marijuana. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ^ "Marijuana Party petition drive fails to result in ballot placement". Lincoln Journal Star. Associated Press. August 5, 2016.
  16. ^ Chitwood, Joe (July 12, 2017). "Pro-pot party petition drive reaches North Platte". North Platte Bulletin.
  17. ^ Ozaki, Andrew (September 29, 2017). "Medical marijuana advocates petition to form Nebraska political party". KETV 7 ABC News.
  18. ^ Krohe, Kalin (April 4, 2018). "Krystal Gabel For Governor And Legal Marijuana Now Petition Signing In Scottsbluff". Panhandle Post.
  19. ^ Octavio, Miguel; Tarala, Kassidy (January 15, 2019). "Midterms boost influence of pro-cannabis political parties". University of Minnesota.
  20. ^ Summers, Brandon (September 19, 2020). "Legal Marijuana Now submits petition to become new state party: Party plans to run its first candidate in 2022 campaign". Grand Island Independent.
  21. ^ Young, JoAnne (September 21, 2020). "Legal Marijuana Now Party turns in signatures for official recognition in Nebraska". Lincoln Journal Star.
  22. ^ Winger, Richard (January 8, 2021). "Nebraska Secretary of State Rejects Legal Marijuana Now Party Petition". Ballot Access News.
  23. ^ "'Legal Marijuana NOW' now recognized as a party in Nebraska". Associated Press. April 21, 2021.
  24. ^ Barfield, Lukas (April 26, 2021). "Legal Marijuana Now Becomes Official Political Party in Nebraska". Ganjapreneur. “The voters of Nebraska have experienced many failed referendum petitions in the past and are currently witnessing a gridlocked Unicameral,” said Krystal Gabel, Legal Marijuana NOW’s National Party Chair. “The process of obtaining ballot access with the LMN petition breaks a decades-long political stalemate with the State of Nebraska on the issue of cannabis.”
  25. ^ Walton, Don (July 12, 2021). "Legal Marijuana Now Party supports attorney general candidate". Lincoln Journal Star. Bolinger received 3,389 votes in the 2020 Republican congressional primary race. The newly formed Legal Marijuana Now Party qualified earlier this year for ballot access in Nebraska.
  26. ^ Carlson, Scott (July 15, 2021). "Legal Marijuana Now chairman to run for Nebraska AG". North Platte Post. At age 52, Bolinger earned a Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, majoring in Political Science and Minor in Criminology with a concentration in government affairs and civic engagement. Bolinger has served on several local commissions, including the Alliance Planning Commission.

External links[]

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