Terminally ill patients might soon have access to medical marijuana under a measure that would legalize full-strength pot for the first time in Florida if Governor Scott signs it into law.

The proposal was approved on Monday by the Senate. It’s objective is to add cannabis to a list of experimental drugs available to patients diagnosed with illnesses that could result in death within a year without life-saving interventions.

It also addresses the state’s existing low-THC law, intended to aid patients who suffer from chronic seizures or cancer. Implementation of the 2014 law is more than a year behind schedule because of legal challenges and this year’s legislation is aimed at preventing further delays.

The Republican-dominated Legislature approved the medical cannabis for dying patients months before voters will have the opportunity to decide on a much broader marijuana initiative. A proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot would allow patients with a wide variety of illnesses to use the marijuana treatment if their doctor orders it. A similar measure failed to pass in 2014.