Medical marijuana to be OK in Maryland

AP

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland will become the 19th state to approve a medical marijuana program, but it's unclear when one will be up and running.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's spokeswoman, Raquel Guillory, confirmed Wednesday that the governor will sign the measure. That will happen at a bill-signing ceremony Thursday, along with dozens of other measures, including a repeal of the death penalty.

The medical marijuana bill allows academic medical research centers to establish programs to dispense marijuana to sick patients.

While state analysts have projected a program would not be up and running until 2016, supporters say they are hopeful some research centers will move faster now that they have seen how the program would work.

Some medical marijuana advocates, though, say the bill doesn't go far enough to get marijuana to sick people.