Politics | Thu May 26, 2016 12:13am EDT

Ohio legislature votes to allow limited medical marijuana use

CLEVELAND | BY KIM PALMER

Lawmakers in Ohio on Wednesday approved legislation that would legalize marijuana use for medical purposes under certain circumstances, less than a year after recreational marijuana use was soundly defeated by Ohio voters.

The bill, approved by both chambers of the state's Republican-led legislature, heads to Republican Governor John Kasich for his signature as his office said on Wednesday that he will review the bill.

During the last few years, state legislatures and voters in the United States have been much more receptive to making the use of marijuana legal for medical purposes than for recreational use.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

The Ohio legislation is more limiting than some in that it only allows patients with specific medical conditions to use an oil, edible, tincture or vapor form of marijuana prescribed by a physician licensed in the state, starting in 2017.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]