BOSTON - As state legislators Tuesday weighed arguments for and against a ballot petition that would legalize the medical use of marijuana, state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg - who was treated for cancer during the past year - made a pitch for his own bill that would require tighter controls on the drug's use.

"In the petition, any physician can say they believe medical marijuana will help this patient whether or not their condition or disease was listed on the legislation," Rosenberg, a Democrat from Amherst, said in an interview after he testified at the Statehouse hearing. "I think that's a huge loophole that creates the opportunity for rogue physicians to go into the marijuana distribution business."

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