The Rhode Island House of Representatives voted 50-12 to make permanent a medical-marijuana law approved last year, and the state Senate is expected to follow suit, the Providence Journal reported May 3.

The measure was scheduled to sunset on June 30, but lawmakers made clear that they strongly supported the law, which made Rhode Island the 11th state to legalize medical use of marijuana.

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri vetoed the bill last year and is expected to do so again, but the legislature is likely to easily override the veto as it did in 2006. Carcieri objected to the fact that the law provides no legal way for patients to obtain marijuana, a point raised by other opponents during the legislature's debate on the measure.

The 2007 bill doubles the amount of marijuana caregivers can legally possess.