DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- A plan to expand access to medical marijuana has won approval in the Democrat-majority Senate, but the legislation is unlikely to move any further this year in the Legislature. The Senate voted 26-19 in favor of the bill Wednesday. The legislation would make medical marijuana available to people with certain chronic diseases. Those approved by a doctor could purchase marijuana products produced in Iowa and sold at state-licensed dispensaries. The legislation moves to the Republican-controlled House, where leaders have expressed little interest in the bill. Last year, the Legislature approved a law allowing some residents with epilepsy to use oil with an ingredient derived from marijuana for treatment. But the law did not establish an in-state program for the production and distribution of the oil. Copyright 2015 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
