Medical marijuana won near-unanimous approval in a committee hearing in the Republican-controlled N.C. General Assembly on Wednesday, the first of potentially many votes standing in the way of the plan becoming law here.

It’s a sign the bill could have broad support. While the votes were not officially recorded, it appeared that every Democrat voted for it, as did all but two or three Republicans.

The bill’s sponsor is Sen. Bill Rabon, an influential committee chairman. And one of the votes in favor of it Wednesday came from Senate Majority Leader Kathy Harrington, a Gastonia Republican. She said her husband was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, and she has since come to realize that medical marijuana could help other patients in similar, painful situations.

“If you had asked me six months ago if I would support this bill, I would have said no,” Harrington said. “But life comes at you fast.”

If the bill is passed into law, North Carolina doctors would be able to prescribe marijuana for PTSD, cancer, sickle cell anemia, glaucoma, ALS and several other specific health problems. [Read More @ The News & Observer]