Alabama Closer to Legalizing Marijuana

According to the Associated Press, the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee has narrowly approved a bill on a 4-3 vote to allow medicinal marijuana in Alabama, causing applause to break out from advocates who have unsuccessfully lobbied at the Statehouse for years. One such advocate is Tammy Collazo, who said she takes a small amount of marijuana to ease the pain of a brain tumor.

The legislation would allow patients with certain medical conditions, including cancer and AIDS, to buy or grow a small amount of marijuana each month.  However, opponents of the bill said not enough is known about the effects of marijuana and that people risked harm by taking the drug as medicine.

The bill now moves to the Alabama Senate, where it faces steep odds.