By Nick Gale, WLS News

(CHICAGO) A group of veterans and other advocates are calling on the governor to expand the state’s medical marijuana program.

Last fall an advisory board suggested adding eight new conditions that could be treated with medical marijuana including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Lon Hodge is a veteran suffering from PTSD who brought his message to the governor in Springfield.

“The nightmares, the night terrors, the constant pain everyday, the fact that even getting up here is a monumental effort that would be made so much better if such a benign drug would be made legal and I wouldn’t be criminalized,” Hodge said.

Currently in Illinois medical marijuana can be used for illnesses like AIDS, MS, Caner and Parkinson’s. As of early January about 4,000 patients have been approved to use medical cannabis.

@ 2016 WLS-AM News