A proposal to decriminalize medical marijuana that had gained momentum in recent weeks was narrowly defeated in the Tennessee House on Tuesday, though the bill’s sponsor says the effort isn’t dead for the year.

In its final meeting scheduled this session, the House criminal justice committee voted down Rep. Bryan Terry’s bill 9-8, following two hours of debate and appearances by the chamber’s top parliamentary and legal officials.

Terry, R-Murfreesboro, said afterward his fight to push the medical cannabis issue forward hasn’t ended for the year. The General Assembly is expected to conclude its business for the year next week, though last-minute negotiating plays a role in the final days of session.

“There are two other bills out there, so the issue’s not dead yet,” Terry said following the bill’s defeat in committee.

He has worked with Sen. Becky Massey, R-Knoxville, to advance the medical cannabis bill further than any similar legislation has previously made it in Tennessee. Massey’s bill cleared Senate committees and is supposed to be up for a vote on the Senate floor, though it appears officials in the upper chamber have been waiting for the House committee vote before scheduling her bill. [Read more at Tennessean]