​The Illinois House on Thursday afternoon narrowly voted down the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. The bill fell just four votes short of the 60 needed to become law.

Sponsor Lou Lang (D-Skokie) pledged to continue working for medical marijuana in Illinois, reports Hannah Hess at STLtoday

“What we have to do now is wait for the new session to start, introduce a new piece of legislation and start over,” Lang said after the bill was defeated.

The medical marijuana bill — SB 1381 — would have allowed people suffering from chronic pain or nausea caused by certain debilitating conditions including cancer and AIDS to use cannabis medicinally with authorization from their doctor.

The Illinois Senate already passed the bill, SB 1381, by a 30-28 vote last May, so House approval would send it straight to Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk.