Pennsylvania, one of nine states with pending legislation to legalize marijuana, took a step toward legalizing medical marijuana last week when a state Senate committee unanimously passed a bill that would create a State Board of Medical Cannabis Licensing program.

This would allow licensed people to grow and dispense the drug to qualifying patients, including those with cancer, epilepsy and seizures, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cachexia/wasting syndrome, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome, multiple sclerosis, spinocerebellara Ataxia, post-traumatic stress disorder, severe fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS and glaucoma.If it passes through the appropriations committee, the bill introduced by Sen. Mike Folmer of Lebanon then moves to the Senate floor.Last year, a similar bill easily made it through the state Senate but died in the House.Lawmakers in support of legalizing medical marijuana are more optimistic this time around and hope the bill can reach Gov. Tom Wolf's desk before lawmakers take their summer recess.Under Pennsylvania law, marijuana use is illegal and possession of small amounts for personal use is considered a misdemeanor.There are almost 18,000 marijuana possession arrests in Pennsylvania each year, including 5,000 arrests for things like cultivation or patients who seek to grow their own instead of paying underground prices.Folmer sees two paths the medical marijuana train can take: One is abuse and misuse of the substance, and the other is bringing it into proper stewardship and helping people with it.In a hearing last month, Republican Matt Baker, chairman of the House Health Committee, voiced some unresolved issues and said many in the medical and the scientific community are very concerned about "putting on white coats and trying to play doctor" when it comes to medical marijuana.Speaking for the state's District Attorneys Association, Montgomery County DA Risa Vetri Ferman said legislators must ensure that the right people are prescribing, distributing and receiving any medical form of marijuana.Members of law enforcement stressed the importance of strict regulatory control if it is legalized. William Kelly, a township police chief and president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, said the group would support a "closely defined and tightly regulated" program for people who have a "serious, verifiable" condition that can only be reduced or eliminated by medical marijuana.Legalization is a complicated issue. A Quinnipiac University Poll last month showed 88 percent of Pennsylvanians in favor of using marijuana for medical purposes, such as helping children who suffer from debilitating seizures.The balancing act for elected officials is making sure the health and safety concerns of all Pennsylvanians are considered in the big picture.By JIM ZBICKtneditor@tnonline.com