BATON ROUGE - A day after falling one vote short, backers of a proposal to expand Louisiana's medical marijuana law to cover more diseases found success in the Senate.

Senators voted 21-16 Wednesday for the proposal from Republican Sen. Fred Mills. It needed 20 votes to pass.

Louisiana hasn't yet started its medical marijuana program, which will eventually get medical-grade pot to people suffering from cancer, glaucoma and a severe form of cerebral palsy.

Mills wants to add seizure disorders, HIV, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and other diseases to the list.

Supporters talk of parents struggling to find medications to treat children's seizure disorders and of others struggling through painful diseases.

Opponents describe the bill as a gateway to illegal drug use and, eventually, legalized recreational marijuana.

The debate now shifts to the House.

Here's the vote on Medical Marijuana SB271 today in the Senate #lalege @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/9hCOlDE2Gx

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