A years-long effort to legalize medical marijuana in Tennessee cleared another roadblock Wednesday, but not until it was “significantly weakened” by an opposed lawmaker.

In the Senate Health Committee, Republican Sen. Bo Watson was successful in altering fellow Republican Sen. Steve Dickerson’s bill by adding a provision that would delay its implementation until the federal government loosens restrictions on marijuana. But despite Watson’s no vote on the bill as amended, the mostly Republican panel approved the measure and sent it on to the Government Operations Committee.

“This amendment significantly weakened the bill because it delays implementation indefinitely,” Dickerson said after the hearing. “I will try to strip the amendment off as it goes through the committee process but cannot estimate my chances. At least the bill is still alive and that is an accomplishment in itself.”

The companion House legislation passed a subcommittee last week, giving the years-long effort by a growing group of bipartisan lawmakers signs of life unseen in previous iterations. The full House Health Committee will consider the measure next week.

Debate among the Senate Health Committee members centered on the efficacy of medical cannabis and federal regulations of the plant. Despite opposition from the state health department and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, two pharmacists on the panel voted in favor of the bill. (A doctor, Republican Joey Hensley, was among the senators voting against it.)

Dickerson’s bill, which has drawn several co-sponsors in both chambers, would not permit smokable or edible marijuana. At one point, he pushed back against criticism from TBI representative Tommy Farmer, who called it a “very dangerous bill.”

Dickerson called Farmer's comments about the supposed addictive effects of marijuana “very misleading” and “completely and totally nonsensical.”

“Frankly, he’s not a physician,” Dickerson added. (Dickerson is a doctor.)

Though state leaders including the speakers of the House and the Senate and Republican Gov. Bill Lee continue to oppose medical marijuana, supporters point out that a majority of Tennesseans have supported the idea for years. And the proposal gained a newly powerful ally when Republican Rep. Jeremy Faison, a longtime sponsor of medical marijuana bills, was elected House GOP Caucus chair.

Last week, Faison said he thought the bill had a “good chance” of passing on the House floor.