It was not déjà vu all over again.

Yesterday, I was the floor leader when we debated eight amendments to the bill regulating medical marijuana.

Our goals were twofold, I told my colleagues.

1. Make possible the treatment needed by the many people who would benefit from it, as evidenced by the testimony of people with chronic disease or their parents.

2. Undertake a study to determine if discrimination in similar industries merits incentives for minority ownership in the businesses licensed to make the treatment available with a doctor’s prescription.

Today, the bill was on third reader, the vote that would send the bill to the Senate.

The only person who spoke was Delegate Glenn, the chair of the Legislative Black Caucus.

She thanked me for my work on the bill.

I leaned over to her and said, “Let’s talk about doing this again on another issue next year.”

For now, it’s time to develop strategy for the conference committee, which will seek consensus on the House and Senate versions of this legislation.