Pa. vote on medical marijuana on hold
HARRISBURG - A historic vote to make medical marijuana legal in Pennsylvania is on hold. After a bill cleared a key House committee last week, legislators had said they hoped to put the measure to a vote as soon as Monday.
HARRISBURG - A historic vote to make medical marijuana legal in Pennsylvania is on hold.
After a bill cleared a key House committee last week, legislators had said they hoped to put the measure to a vote as soon as Monday.
But Stephen Miskin, spokesman for House Republicans, said Monday that lawmakers were still sorting through 99 proposed amendments to the bill. He said it was unclear if the chamber would consider the issue before the Thanksgiving break.
Lawmakers are scheduled to convene again Tuesday in their last voting session of the week.
Winning over the GOP-led House has been the last remaining obstacle for advocates of medical marijuana. The Senate has passed a version of the bill, and Gov. Wolf has pledged his support.
Still there's no assurance the House bill will pass or, if it does, that it won't come with restrictive amendments that the governor and Senate would oppose.
Under the bill, the drug is to be administered to patients suffering from cancer, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed a desire to pass a version of the bill by year's end.
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