RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Senate has approved a bill expanding the number of ailments that can be treated with two derivatives of the marijuana plant.
The chamber voted Thursday on the measure that allows people with cancer, HIV, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and a number of other diseases to access cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil with written certification by a practitioner.
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Current law allows the oils, which don't create a high, to be used only for intractable epilepsy.
Republican Sen. Dick Black said he worried such legislation could open the door for legalized marijuana.
Democratic Sen. Dick Saslaw disputed that idea, saying "we're not going to become a nation of potheads" because people with ailments are using the oils.
The measure still needs approval from the House of Delegates.
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