On Monday night, the House took a significant step towards legalizing medical marijuana when it passed the medical marijuana bill 152-32 after the introduction of a key amendment, writes Steve Esack for The Morning Call.  

The goal of the bill is to set up the legal framework for a government and medically regulated system where marijuana would be grown, processed and prescribed to the terminally ill and patients suffering from specific diseases and conditions. One of the key changes to the bill is the Marsico amendment that allows the newly constituted Medical Marijuana Board to add or subtract treatable diseases based on available medical research.

“We did not come to an agreement on all of the issues associated with medical marijuana, but we were able to come to a consensus on a number of elements about the legislation,” said Representative Ron Marsico, the Republican Co-Chair of the Judiciary Committee, during Monday’s debate.

While this vote unusually united Republicans and Democrats, it still has a long way to go before it can help people who need it the most. Even after passing the House and the Senate and being approved by the governor, it will take at least two years for the State to set up a system for patients seeking marijuana-based products.

“I believe the legislative process is working because you need to have everyone from all these smaller areas working together,” said Beth McCormick, who has had a piece of her brain removed to control seizures. “But it could work quicker for some of us patients because I don’t know when I am going to die.”

The Senate passed the medical marijuana bill in May and the House vote on Monday merged several amendments into one newly amended bill that replaces the original. However, more votes are scheduled for Tuesday with the final vote on Wednesday. If it passes, the bill will then move back to the Senate.

Governor Tom Wolf has vowed to sign the bill if it passes the Senate in its current form and if he does, Pennsylvania would become the 23rd state to legalize medical marijuana, along with Washington, D.C. and Guam.

Read more about Monday’s vote on The Morning Call here.