A Republican state senator has introduced a bill in the state legislature that would legalize use of marijuana for medical purposes, the Florence Morning News reported Jan. 12.

Sen. William Mescher said his wife's death from lung cancer 24 years ago moved him to propose the medical-marijuana bill, saying that some doctors told him at the time that using the drug could help ease the nausea arising from chemotherapy. "There were concerns that she would become addicted," he said. "Here this woman had maybe two or three months to live -- and in extreme pain. It didn't make any difference if she became addicted."

Mescher's bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Medical Affairs.