SALT LAKE CITY -- Speaking at his monthly press conference Thursday, Utah governor Gary Herbert made clear his stance on medical marijuana.

When asked if Utah could become the 24th state to legalize the drug for medicinal purposes, Herbert said "there's a pathway to get that done," provided certain research and control measures are met.

"I think the discussion is now at hand, the time is nigh, to see if we can find a pathway forward on this," Herbert said. "But I'm not interested in having Dr. Feelgood out there say 'Yeah, yeah. Qué pasa? You know, here's your doobie for the day and you'll feel better.' That's probably not where I want to go."

The Utah State Legislature's 2016 General Session begins January 25, and lawmakers are slated to consider a pair of competing medical marijuana bills.