A proposal to legalize medical marijuana has been left to smolder until the fall, as Pennsylvania lawmakers have started their summer break without bringing the bill for a final vote before either the House or the Senate.

The proposed regulatory framework for growing and prescribing medical cannabis got a key committee vote in the Senate last month, prompting tearful embraces among supporters and lawmakers.

“We’re in the game. We’re in play,” said Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, a leading proponent of medical marijuana. “We’ve got to move the process along.”

Supporters of medical marijuana legalization include veterans and cancer patients who say their ailments can be treated with some form of cannabis. More recently, parents of children with severe forms of epilepsy have raised the profile of those seeking a marijuana oil extract to treat debilitating seizures. [Read More]