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With just two votes in opposition, the Utah House on Tuesday advanced a bill to allow expanded research into medical marijuana in the state.

It voted 70-2 to pass HB130, and sent it to the Senate.

Its sponsor, Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, argued that states that have allowed medical marijuana usually have done it backwards — deciding it is medicine before proving that with appropriate research. He said his bill gets the order right.

"We'll play legislator. We'll let them [physician researchers] play doctor," he said. "Good data makes good decisions. Let's get some good data so we can make good decisions."

Legislative leaders announced early this session that they will not try to legalize medical marijuana this year, given the uncertainty of whether President Donald Trump's administration will enforce federal marijuana laws. Instead, they plan to push bills like Daw's to allow for more research.

"I firmly believe there are people out there today who can be helped by certain products once the research takes place," said Rep. Gage Froerer, R-Huntsville.

HB130 would allow researchers who conduct institutional review board-approved studies to possess and administer cannabinoid products to an individual involved in the study, as well as import the products and cannabis for the study from another state as long as they comply with federal law and are obtained from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Daw said much of the research would be conducted by such institutions as the University of Utah and the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

The only two lawmakers who voted against the bill were Reps. Curt Webb, R-Logan, and John Westwood, R-Cedar City.

State lawmakers tried to legalize medical marijuana last year with two dueling bills, but a compromise proposal failed in the legislative session's final hours when legislators found that there was no money to implement the program.

Groups supporting legalization have said they may attempt a ballot initiative to accomplish that.