Kansas could be among the next crop of states to go green, if state Sen. David Haley (D) has anything to say about it.

Haley plans to introduce a bill that will legalize medical marijuana, according to KCTV 5 News in Kansas City.

“It’s just going to be a matter of time before all of this country has it, and I just don’t want Kansas to be the last state to enact it,” he told a reporter.

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“That’s how we’re going to grow as a country,” he reportedly added. “The question is, how long it takes before Kansas will join what will be the rest of the country, or will we be one of the leaders.”

Similar bills have failed in the state’s last three legislative sessions.

Although federal law does not recognize marijuana’s medical properties, it is proven to be effective in treating nausea from chemotherapy, AIDS wasting syndrome, ocular pressure from Glaucoma and neuropathic pain from a host of chronic diseases, among its numerous applications. Similarly, the American Medical Association said in 2009 that the government’s classification of the drug is not accurate and called for more research on potential marijuana-based drugs.

Marijuana for medical uses is legal in 18 states and Washington, D.C. Just two states, Colorado and Washington, have legalized the drug for adult recreational use.

This video is from KCTV 5 News, aired Tuesday, January 15, 2013.

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