An evolving proposal to allow regulated medical marijuana dispensaries and related businesses is unlikely to move this year in the Michigan Senate despite an ongoing push from supporters.

Sen. Rick Jones, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, does not have the votes to advance the bills from committee and is instead asking Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof to discharge them to the floor by early 2016.

“That’s entirely up to him,” Jones, R-Grand Ledge, said Tuesday. “I would hope that it would be this week, but I realize this week is taken up by some very pressing issues.”

Meekhof is not writing off the bills for good, but with lawmakers leaving for winter break in just three days, he’s focused on other priority legislation, according to spokeswoman Amber McCann.

“I wouldn’t consider it a dead issue, because we’re not at the end of a term, but I don’t see us discharging anything this year,” she said. [Read more at MLive.com]