Step by step, regulations surrounding medical marijuana are inching their way toward final passage this legislative session.

Today, the full Senate took up House Bill 829, which works out the details about who can grow and sell medical marijuana starting next year.

It passed, but not without some Republican pushback.

In essence, all a 29 does is set up the Office of Medical Cannabis and carries out the provisions of SB 47 as was passed last year.

I think that the bill itself that is proposed is actually a good change.

But since our proposal principally opposed American medical marijuana and voted against the bill originally, I would just be consistent.

As it does apply guardrails to an already existing bill.

And most importantly to me, this does not allow for smoking of marijuana.

That's not what this is.

So with that, Mr. President, I vote on.

The Senate, made some changes to the bill, so it went back to the House for a final approval.

State Representative Jason Nemeth, who sponsored the bill, said one of the changes makes it so that school districts can opt out of the medical marijuana program.

So a local school, private or public, can opt out and not be part of the program.

If they want to be part of the program, then they're required to have a process in place by which the student will receive the medication.

So to put some meat on that bones, for example, if a particular district in Campbell County, for example, wanted to not be a part of the program, they would just pass that at its Board of Education meeting.

And then Campbell County students wouldn't be allowed to have the medication or receive the medication while they're in school.

House Bill 829 is now headed to the governor's desk.

But Governor can either sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without his signature or veto it, Because today is the final day of the session, lawmakers forfeit the chance to override any vetoes issued by the governor.