Pennsylvania is set to become the latest state to legalize medical marijuana as the Legislature sent a bill to the governor on Wednesday, after parents of children suffering from debilitating seizures circulated the Capitol urging lawmakers to act.
The House voted, 149-46, set off cheers in the ornate chamber and capped several years of door-to-door lobbying by parents and more than a year-and-a-half since the state Senate first approved a medical marijuana bill in 2014. Calling it historic legislation, Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said he will sign it Sunday.
Pennsylvania would become the 24th state to legalize a comprehensive medical marijuana program, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The issue of Pennsylvania medical marijuana has been driven by parents who believe a cannabis oil extract can help relieve the daily seizures that have left their children in wheelchairs or functioning far below their grade level. Some say they worried that the next seizure will kill their child and had traveled countless times to the Capitol to press their case. [Read more at The Cannabist at The Denver Post]
