BATON ROUGE - çPassage was spurred by personal stories of people with seizures and severe pain that bill advocates say would be eased with medicinal-grade pot.

Lawmakers created the framework for a medical marijuana program in Louisiana last year, but regulatory hurdles built into the law have slowed its start.

The bill by Republican Sen. Fred Mills will broaden the program to cover more diseases and make regulatory changes aimed at getting marijuana into patients' hands more quickly.

Senators agreed to House changes made to Mills' bill with a 22-14 vote Monday. The measure heads next to Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has said he will sign it into law.