Nebraska lawyers not going to pot, but they can invest in medical cannabis operations, an advisory panel says

LINCOLN — Marijuana may be illegal in Nebraska, but a lawyer from the Cornhusker State is free to invest in cannabis operations in states where it is legal, a state ethics board is advising.

The eight-member Nebraska Lawyer’s Advisory Committee, which issued an advisory on Thursday, usually weighs in on technical matters concerning the practice of law, such as whether conflicts of interests exist and the duty to represent clients.

But the legalization of medical marijuana in adjacent South Dakota prompted a couple of questions from a Nebraska attorney recently.

Rules of conduct

The attorney, who was not named in the advisory opinion, asked if they could invest in a medical cannabis business in another state, where such marijuana is legal, without violating the state’s Rules for Professional Conduct for lawyers. Another question: If they couldn’t invest, could their spouse?

The lawyer also wondered if they could advise a business owner who had workers who lived in a state, like South Dakota or Colorado, where marijuana was legal, on employment issues?

A split decision

The committee, in a split decision, said that such investments would not violate the code of conduct.

The majority opinion noted that medical marijuana is legal in 37 states and that Congress has blocked federal authorities from enforcing the federal prohibition against marijuana in states that have deemed it legal. Nineteen states, two U.S. territories and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“Merely investing in a cannabis company, which presumably operates within the bounds of the applicable state laws, does not in our opinion rise to the level of a criminal act, nor does such conduct reflect adversely on the lawyers honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness to practice ….” said the majority opinion from the advisory committee.

It noted that ethics committees in two other states, New York and Washington State have reached similar conclusions, and that the committee had no power to advise non-lawyers, such as spouses.

Supreme Court should weigh in

But dissenters on the committee said the since marijuana is illegal in Nebraska and technically illegal federally, it would be an ethical breach.

However, the dissenters — who were not identified — suggested that the questions be referred to the Nebraska Supreme Court so it could address the issue “head on by making a rule upon which Nebraska lawyers can rely.”

The Supreme Court, the dissenters noted, is the “final authority” on ethical issues involving lawyers.