This is what happens, she said, when instead of groups just saying no, they come to give advice on how to make such a bill better.

Still, both Lathrop and Wishart didn't give the bill a great chance of being passed this session.

But it provides an opportunity to discuss a medicinal marijuana bill that has been well framed with hours of work by senators and legal staff, and extensive input from others outside the Legislature, they said.

"If we're going to have medicinal cannabis, this one has been tightened up way more than what we may end up with if this is unsuccessful and then we end up with a petition initiative, put it on the ballot and then people vote for it," Lathrop said.

Supporters of legalizing medicinal marijuana in Nebraska, led by Wishart and Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld, have already begun gathering signatures on a petition initiative to go on the 2020 general election ballot. They have said they will have no trouble gathering more than enough signatures to put the proposal on the ballot and then vote to legalize medical marijuana.

Wishart gave it a more than an 80% chance of passing at the polls.