Steve Roberts gestures at the three pill bottles lined up in front of him as he sits at the kitchen table in his cozy Palmerton home.

One is a powerful anti-seizure medication that controls his epilepsy. The other two, just as strong, help offset the side effects of the first one.Roberts, 27, is one of many Pennsylvanians who hope state lawmakers will allow the use of medical marijuana to ease their pain."Medical marijuana doesn't get you high. It won't cure epilepsy. But it will help you live with it," he says.He and the others may have a long wait.The Senate on Sept. 24 approved SB1182, which would allow for the production, distribution and use of medical marijuana.From there, the bill was sent to the House, where, on Oct. 7, it landed in the Judiciary Committee. Legislators said they wanted more information and public hearings before considering whether to approve the bill, but the legislative session ended Nov. 12, with no action taken on the bill.State Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-122nd, says there's no need to rush."The FDA already approved doctors to prescribe medical marijuana derivatives, such as cannabinoids, to their patients in the state of Pennsylvania, so we aren't denying anyone a potentially life-saving medication," he said."With that, I believe that at the state level we should be careful as we pursue legalizing medical marijuana to the public, as there are still many unanswered questions. We are in the midst of dealing with an illegal drug and opioid epidemic that is killing thousands across our state. I think it is an issue that is more worthy of addressing at this time."His counterpart in Schuylkill County, state Rep. Jerry Knowles, takes an equally reluctant stance."Recommendations on medical topics should be made by organizations like the American Medical Association, the PA Medical Society, and the Food and Drug Administration. Presently, these organizations do not recommend marijuana for medical use. I have great difficulty disagreeing with the medical experts," Knowles said."People actively involved in the medical field have told me that there has been no long-term research by the medical community about this topic, which is a serious concern. My heart goes out to anyone who has a child, grandchild or family member suffering. However, I don't think we can make these types of decisions based solely on emotion."Until further research clearly demonstrates marijuana's safe and effective use in patient care, beyond any reasonable doubt, I agree with these health care professionals," Knowles says."Many unanswered questions need to be addressed before we move forward."Proposed legislationThe 60-page bill details the rules, regulations, requirements, and penalties for the growing, distribution, prescribing and use of medical marijuana. You can read the bill online at

www.legis.state.pa.us and typing SB1182 in the "legislation quick search" box at the right.Under the bill, patients would be able to consume marijuana in various forms, such as edible, tinctures, ointments and extracted oils, but not by smoking or inhaling vapors.The proposed law would provide for 60 growers licenses and 130 distributors licenses.According to the bill, "at the time of license issuance, the board shall impose a licensing fee in the amount of $50,000. The board shall impose an initial $5,000 annual renewal fee for each year."Pro and conEpilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania spokeswoman Marikate Taylor said the organization supports the legalization of medical marijuana "as it is the right of a patient and their doctor to determine the best course of treatment.""There is a great demand for more information about the use of medical marijuana to treat seizures because medical marijuana has the potential to save these individual's lives. The EFEPA supports rescheduling medical marijuana to a lower level through the (U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency) so that it can be released for use in more clinical studies and trials," she says.Taylor describes medical marijuana's role in reducing seizures."There are 489 parts that make up the cannabis plant, of which 70 are cannabinoids. These 70 cannabinoids are the components linked to reducing seizure activity. In the brain there are receptors for cannabinoids which exist in areas commonly known to cause seizures. The goal of medical cannabis is to isolate these parts into a digestible form (known as CBD oil) in order to reduce or stop seizure activity."These cannabinoids do not have the psychoactive side-effects associated with traditional marijuana. Medical cannabis is not smoked or vaporized, Taylor said.There has been some progress. On May 1, Gov. Tom Corbett announced his decision to allow a research-based pilot of medical marijuana to treat children with severe seizures.But the Pennsylvania Medical Society remains opposed to the medical marijuana bill for the time being.Testifying at hearings on the bill in January, Medical Society Executive Vice President William Fraser said more research is needed.Society President Bruce MacLeod has said that while marijuana is classified as a controlled substance, it cannot be studied, and that he is concerned about any long-term effects.The society "believes more research is needed on medical marijuana. Our organization has been supportive of Gov. Corbett's projects through children's hospitals to conduct such research.The bill that passed the Pennsylvania Senate recently to legalize medical marijuana did not have our organization's support as it skips the need to conduct thorough research," said spokesman Charles Moran.WaitingRecent polls have shown that most Pennsylvanians favor the use of medical marijuana, as long as it's regulated and controlled.A Quinnipiac University poll of registered voters found 85 percent had no problem with it. A Franklin & Marshall College poll found similar results.As for Roberts, he's hanging on to the hope of being able to use medical marijuana rather than a powerful pharmaceutical to ease his epilepsy.Because he'll be on the medication for life, he has come to terms with eventually having to take medications to alleviate the damage to his liver and kidneys."The medication that's controlling the epilepsy in me is also hurting me," he says.