NASHVILLE – A state lawmaker will introduce a bill that would make sales of marijuana legal for medicinal purposes, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports. State Rep. Sherry Jones filed the proposal to be heard in this year’s session.

“It’s just simply a matter of being rational and compassionate,” she said of HB1385. “It would apply to only the most severely debilitated people ... children suffering a hundred (epileptic) seizures a day, people on chemotherapy, people with multiple sclerosis ... people with a plethora of diseases.”

This isn’t Tennessee’s first foray into prescription marijuana. During a brief period thirty years ago, the sale for medical reasons was allowed, but the law had been repealed and subsequent tries to reinstate marijuana sales have not been successful. However, now, as the number of states allowing the regulated sale of marijuana, including Colorado, has risen to 21, the chances might be better in Tennessee. New York is likely to approve sales for medicinal purposes.

“I think anybody would tell you alcohol is much worse than marijuana,” said Jones. “If you think alcohol should be legal, then you would think that for sure medical marijuana should be legal.”

Her bill specifies which conditions would be eligible for a marijuana prescription, but it also has “any other medical condition or its treatment as certified or prescribed by practitioners and approved by the (state) health department.” Thus far, no senator has stepped forward to sponsor the bill—a requirement if it’s to pass, but Jones is looking for such a lawmaker now.