Md. House Passes Medical Marijuana Bill
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- The Maryland House of Delegates has passed by a wide margin a measure to make the state's medical marijuana law effective.
The House voted 123-13 on Monday for the bill, which now goes to the state Senate.
The measure makes a significant change to a state law passed last year by allowing certified doctors to recommend that their patients receive marijuana for medicinal purposes. The current Maryland law has stalled, because the framework requires academic medical centers to run the programs, and none has stepped forward.
Del. Cheryl Glenn, a Baltimore Democrat who was a leading sponsor of the measure, says it applies only for patients with debilitating illnesses. She says it's tightly restricted with no allowance for drug use for recreational purposes.
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