Pennsylvania became the 24th U.S. state to legalize marijuana use for medical purposes after state legislators approved a bill that Democratic Governor Tom Wolf signed into law yesterday.

The bill allows use of marijuana oil and extracts, while still prohibiting the smoking of the drug, to treat or alleviate the symptoms of a long list of ailments including autism, epileptic seizures and nausea brought on by chemotherapy.

The bill, which passed by a 149-46 vote in the state House of Representatives, sets up an infrastructure for growing, distributing, regulating and taxing medical marijuana.

Statewide opinion polls consistently show that 88 percent or more of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana. That reflects a 50-year national trend toward general acceptance of marijuana, especially among younger and more liberal Americans.

Four U.S. states, Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, as well as the District of Columbia, in the past few years have legalized recreational marijuana use through ballot initiatives. Voters in five more states are to vote on legalization in November. The drug remains illegal under federal law.

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