State medical marijuana bill heads to United States Senate

A bill that would end federal interference in state medical marijuana laws is now heading to the U.S. Senate.

East Bay Congresswoman Barbare Lee co-sponsored the legislation, which passed the house last week.

Lee hailed the bipartisan measure during a tour of a medical cannabis cooperative in Oakland.

"With the passage of this amendment thankfully we're one step closer to providing relief and that's what this is about, relief and help to people suffering from medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, cancer, HIV and AIDS and other medical issues. This gives them peace of mind when it comes to accessing their medicine," Lee said.

Lee admits more work needs to be done to get the bill through the senate and then to the president for his signature.

Opponents say that medical cannabis advocates are merely trying to open the way for full legalization of marijuana.