Several proponents pointed to research showing that abuse of prescription opioid drugs declined in some of the 28 states that have legalized medical cannabis. They also said while there has not been a documented case of marijuana overdose resulting in death, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 183,000 Americans died of prescription painkiller overdoses between 1999 and 2015.

Retired physician Alan Worth of Lincoln said he suffers from multiple sclerosis, which causes painful muscle spasms and cramps that make sleeping very difficult. When he’s been in legal marijuana states, he said cannabis extract helped without noticeable side effects.

“So I’d ask you why would you deny me access to a medicine that reduces my suffering,” he asked. “Why is the remedy 500 miles west of here and not in Lincoln?”

Amy Swearer is a former University of Nebraska-Lincoln soccer player who said she was prescribed narcotics and amphetamines for a head injury related to her sport. She told the committee that she now lives in Washington, where medical marijuana is legal.

“We are arbitrarily depriving citizens from a basic form of natural liberty — the right to make medical decisions in their best interests,” she said.