Medicinal marijuana got a step closer to reality for Iowans, but the fight for the drug to help relieve ailments is far from over. Earlier this week, the Iowa Senate voted to pass a bill that would make weed for medical use legal. This sets the stage for a proposition in the GOP-controlled Iowa House. Republicans have put up strong resistance to this issue in the past.

People suffering from maladies in which medical pot would help are hoping that battle is not a roadblock to relief. Patients suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, PTSD and other debilitating ailments look to the drug for lessening of symptoms. Four producers in the state would be allowed to grow marijuana with oversight from state officials if the bill passed, according to the Des Moines Register.

Many states permit the use of the drug, but the FDA has yet to approve pot as a safe and effective drug. Time will tell if patients in this state will ever be able to use the drug legally.

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