Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Sunday said he is happy that President Rodrigo Duterte backtracked on his stand on the legalization of marijuana.
“I’m glad, he is on the right track,” said Sotto, who said those pushing for legalizing medical use of marijuana might be involved in the illegal drugs trade.
However, the President’s daughter, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, expressed a contrary opinion.
“If there is scientific basis that cannabis is a medicine, we should not deprive the patients of its use,” she said even as she stressed that medical marijuana use must be regulated by the government.
Duterte last week made a sudden double back in his decision to legalize marijuana, saying he would no longer support its legalization for medical purposes.
The President said legalizing cannabis for medical use would be used as an excuse to cultivate the plant.
“That would be an excuse. I did not agree. Not in my time, not in my time,” Duterte said.
The President admitted he was “ignorant” about research regarding the supposed medicinal properties of marijuana despite previously saying this was already an “ingredient of modern medicine.”
Late last year, Malacañang said Duterte would sign any bill that would legalize it.
Duterte said considering marijuana as a medicinal drug was equivalent to condoning wrongdoings.
“I am ignorant of that kind of research, I must admit. And I do not read it and I do not intend to legalize it. I do not want to. Legalization would be used as an excuse. People might cultivate it and say it is for medicinal purposes,” he said.
“They say it’s medicinal. Suddenly, everything will become medicinal. That would be an excuse,” Duterte said.