-- Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, brought members of the House Health Committee special brownies today -- free of both marijuana and gluten -- to kick off this year's fight to legalize medical marijuana in Alabama.

While the homemade treats did not convince the committee to pass her

, which would legalize cannabis for certain medical conditions, she said she hopes they send a message about what she and supporters are trying accomplish.

"A lot of people think we're trying to get to the point where everybody is going to be smoking and toking on their front porch," Todd said. "That's not what we're talking about. This is actually the most effective way that most people who have cancer or other diseases digest marijuana."

Voting 12 to 2, the committee declined to move the bill forward to the full House. Reps. John Knight Jr., D-Montgomery, and Berry Forte, D-Eufaula, cast the only favorable votes.

Rep. Joe Hubbard, D-Montgomery, who made the only comment during discussion, said he could not support the legislation in its current form, but it raises important questions about the role of THC medications in palliative care.

"I want you to know that this issue is something that I believe ... this committee needs to look at, work on, and study," he said. "It's a palliative care issue that effects citizens in every one of our districts."

After the meeting, Todd, who has sponsored similar legislation for years, said she was undeterred by the failure.

"We knew that they were going to defeat the bill, but we got two affirmative votes, and I think we raised the possibility that they will look at this closely and that we need to continue to study it," she said.

"We're going to come back with different versions of the bill and maybe even a study that puts together a commission to look at it."

With tears in her eyes, Todd told the committee the issue was a "no brainer" when "you have watched someone you love with all your heart who cannot even speak they're in such agonizing pain."

She said drugs such as morphine provide some relief, but they have adverse side effects that impair the patient's quality of life.

"I'm just asking please, please, please give us a chance to look at this seriously and from a medical perspective so we can provide some relief to people that are really hurting," Todd said.

Ron Crumpton, executive director of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition, said he sent Todd an alternate bill this morning that they plan to file during the 2013 session, which started Tuesday.