Nebraska is one of the 15 states that have decriminalized personal use marijuana possession. First offense possession of up to an ounce of marijuana is a civil infraction punishable under Nebraska law by a $300 fine (and a possible drug education course) instead of jail time, and is a citation as opposed to an arrest. Second offense possession of up to an ounce carries a $400 fine and up to five days in jail, and third offense possession is punishable by up to a week in jail and a fine of $500. Second and third offense possession are misdemeanors, but are only citable, and not arrestable, offenses. Even so, there were still 7,430 marijuana arrests and/or citations in 2007. You can learn more about Nebraska's marijuana penalties and enforcement by reading this report by Jon Gettman, PhD.

Nebraska legislators would do better to focus their energies on further reducing marijuana penalties, as opposed to creating new ways to penalize those who use or grow a plant that has never caused an overdose death. You can write your state legislators to ask them to end marijuana prohibition in the state and replace it with a taxed and regulated system.