Pa. Senate Committee Approves Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- In an historic vote, a Pennsylvania state senate committee today gave its approval to a bill to legalize medical marijuana in Pennsylvania.

The bill is sponsored by state senator Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon County), who advocated tirelessly and passionately for it.

Folmer was reluctant to discuss the historic aspects of vote by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

"I don't want to jinx myself, because we got it out of this committee," he said. "This is awesome, but we have a battle to go forward. But I just want to thank the committee for their open mind."

Folmer says the committee's unanimous vote in favor of the bill will be important going forward.

Another major supporter of the bill, suburban Philadelphia Democrat Daylin Leach (see related story), was less cautious than Folmer.

"You don't get an issue that often up here that's as compelling as this one is," Leach said today, "so this is going to become law."

But a spokesman for the state senate majority leader says with time running out ahead of the summer recess, a full Senate vote on medical marijuana is unlikely this session.