Those who suffer from three specific conditions may be able to legally use medical marijuana if a bill in the House continues to move forward.

State Representative Ralph Watts says he voted against the cannabinoid oil bill two years ago but after hearing from his constituents, this new bill could be one his in favor of.

“I have two specific instances in talking with people in my district that have had some success with epilepsy and cannabis oil, and another that had issues with seizures.  A young boy, three years old, that after going to Mayo (Clinic) they took him off all of the meds that he had prescribed in Iowa and told his mother to use cannabinoid oil.”

Watts says while the oil won’t cure these patients of their illnesses, it can help manage symptoms and prevent seizures.  He also likes that the bill is very specific.

“We’d have just one or two growers in Iowa that would be licensed and supervised by the Department of Public Health and we’d have one distribution site in the state for people to get the cannabinoid oil.  It would be very specific ingredients for the cannabis and it would be used for treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and terminal cancer within one year.”

The bill has passed out of the Commerce Committee in the House, meaning it survived the first funnel week of this year’s session and is still eligible for debate.