COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Medical marijuana proponents were Downtown Wednesday to support a proposed law, NBC 4 reported.
Supporters gathered at the Statehouse to show they back the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Senate Bill 343 would allow patients to legally grow small amounts of the drug for personal use.
The bill was proposed earlier in 2008 and if passed, would make Ohio the 13th state to legalize the drug.
Proponents said the law has not caused problems in the other states where it has passed.
"If don't use it, fine. This is not a problem. No one is advocating that you use it. That's between you and your doctor. But for those who that their doctor feels it may help them, they ought to have the right to use it," Jayson Jones with the Ohio Patient Action Network.
Opponents worry the bill would promote abuse and without strict regulations allow drug dealers to hide under the name of medical marijuana distributors.
Author of the bill, Sen. Tom Roberts, said there are safeguards in place to avoid those problems.
More hearings on the bill are expected in 2009.
Stay tuned to NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for more information on this developing story.
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