Press Releases

Announcement Launches ASA’s Compassionate Candidate Campaign

Washington, DC / Lincoln, NE — Americans for Safe Access (ASA) today officially launched its 2026 Compassionate Candidate Campaign, with Nebraska State Senator John Cavanaugh, candidate for U.S. Congress (District 2), and Dan Osborn, U.S. Navy veteran and Independent candidate for Nebraska’s U.S. Senate seat announcing they have signed The Compassionate Pledge 2026 at ASA’s “Nebraska: Ground Zero for Medical Cannabis Policy 2026? ” press briefing.

The signings mark the first federal candidates in the 2026 cycle to publicly commit to advancing a national medical cannabis framework centered on patients’ rights and healthcare integration.

The Compassionate Candidate Campaign is a platform to educate the electorate and candidates about issues facing medical cannabis patients.  It provides a platform for candidates to demonstrate where they stand on medical cannabis policy through the Compassionate Pledge. 

By signing the pledge, candidates commit to:

• Co-sponsor comprehensive legislation to establish a national medical cannabis program housed under the Department of Health and Human Services (the Office of Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoid Control) that builds on existing state programs and oversees a new schedule for cannabis and cannabinoids.
• Publicly advocating for medical cannabis patients and a national framework.
• Educating colleagues and leveraging committees and leadership positions to advance healthcare integration.
• Using congressional oversight authority to ensure federal agencies protect patients and advance cannabis therapeutics as viable treatment options.

The pledge provides patient advocates with a clear standard for evaluating whether candidates seeking federal office are committed to advancing medical cannabis policy. 

“Medical cannabis is on every federal ballot in 2026,” said Steph Sherer, Founder and Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access. “The next Congress will decide whether cannabis is fully integrated into American healthcare—or left vulnerable to political rollback impacting the millions of Americans, seniors, veterans, children with severe conditions, cancer patients, and people living with chronic illness who rely on cannabinoid medicines.  The Compassionate Candidate Campaign gives patient advocates the tools to educate candidates about their needs and how to address them in federal statute. The Compassionate Pledge makes clear, when patients head to the ballot box, which candidates are prepared to represent them.”

Senator John Cavanaugh emphasized the need for federal clarity and patient protections:

“Nebraskans made it clear that patients deserve safe and legal access to medical cannabis. It’s time for Congress to catch up. I signed the Compassionate Pledge because patients should not have to live in fear or uncertainty when following their doctor’s recommendations. A national framework that treats cannabis as medicine may be the only way to ensure the will of Nebraska voters is respected.”

Dan Osborn underscored the importance of dignity and fairness for patients nationwide:

“ As a veteran and someone who believes in personal freedom and accountability, I have seen firsthand how outdated federal policies hurt real people. Nebraskans who need medical cannabis deserve respect, access, and research; not stigma or more bureaucratic limbo.

The launch comes at a pivotal moment for medical cannabis policy. Nebraska was recently excluded from longstanding federal budget protections, leaving patients and providers in legal uncertainty—even after voters approved medical cannabis in 2024. While Nebraska was singled out in this instance, advocates warn that temporary federal fixes and shifting regulatory policies continue to put hard-fought patient protections at risk nationwide. Without elected officials committed to defending their rights, patients remain vulnerable.

The Compassionate Candidate Campaign is designed to elevate patient voices, not political parties. Candidates from any party—or independent candidates—are invited to learn about patient needs and to demonstrate support. ASA will publish a public list of signers and encourage voters to engage candidates directly on medical cannabis policy throughout the 2026 election cycle.

“Candidates in every district are applying for the job of representing us,” Sherer added. “Patients are demanding Medical Cannabis Champions at the ballot box this year. The pledge makes it unmistakably clear who is prepared to lead.”

Medical cannabis advocates nationwide are encouraged to ask candidates in their districts to sign The Compassionate Pledge and to elevate patient-centered policy in campaign forums, town halls, and debates.

For reporters covering the 2026 federal elections, ASA is available to provide:

• State-by-state analysis of how federal cannabis policy impacts patients
• Background on the proposed national medical cannabis framework
• Data on voter sentiment regarding medical cannabis policy
• Interviews with patients and other stakeholders 

Press contacts:

Americans for Safe Access; Steph Sherer:[email protected]

John Cavanauh for Congress: Katie Bartizal: [email protected] 

Oborn for Congress: Dan McCollister: [email protected]

Learn more about the Compassionate Candidate Campaign.

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