The House of Representatives is poised to begin next week its plenary deliberations on the bill legalizing the use of marijuana for medical use.
Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, author of the measure, expressed hope that his proposed Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act will hurdle the vote on third and final reading approval anytime soon.
House Bill 6517 was earlier approved overwhelmingly by the House committee on health headed by Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan.
In his sponsorship last Wednesday, Albano urged his colleagues to support his measure that aims to benefit patients suffering from debilitating diseases.
He said the bill was based on numerous clinical trials around the world that have shown the safety and efficacy of cannabis and its therapeutic and palliative effects.
Neither does the bill allow smoking, he added.
“It is time for us to decide based on evidence. Around the world, clinical trials have shown the safety and efficacy of cannabis and its naturally occurring compounds as well as their therapeutic and palliative effects of cannabis. Twenty-seven countries have legalized medical cannabis and 29 states plus Washington, DC have passed laws legalizing medical cannabis,” Albano said in his speech.
He said the recreational use of cannabis continues to be prohibited by law. “What this proposed measure does is to create a limited and narrow exception to the country’s criminal and civil laws to allow a physician to recommend medical cannabis to patients with serious and debilitating medical conditions,” Albano said.
“This proposed measure does not amend or in any way contravene the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 which recognized the medical use of dangerous drugs including marijuana (Section 2). Neither does it contradict the UN Single Convention on Narcotics as amended by the 1972 Protocol which explicitly provides ‘to limit exclusively to medical and scientific purpose the production, manufacture, export, import, distribution, trade in, use and possession of drugs.’ (Article 4),” Albano explained.
Albano filed the bill in the last 16th Congress but it did not push through.
“Today, hundreds of thousands of patients suffering from serious and debilitating diseases are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.. After three years of persistent, unrelenting advocacy, they are overflowing with hope and optimism that finally, they will benefit from legalizing the medical use of cannabis,” Albano said.
He said: “Mr. Speaker, one might ask: Why are you pushing for the legalization of medical cannabis at this time when we are waging a war against drugs? Mr. Speaker, the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 declares : “The government shall, xxx aim to achieve a balance in the national drug control program so that people with legitimate medical needs are not prevented from being treated with adequate amounts of appropriate medications , which include the use of dangerous drugs.”
Albano said in his bill that marijuana has been confirmed to be beneficial and therapeutic uses in treating chronic or debilitating diseases or medical conditions.
These include cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe and chronic pain; severe nausea; seizures, including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy; and severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those associated with multiple sclerosis, he said.
Under the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis bill, there shall be legalized and regulated use of cannabis for medical purposes, Albano said. It establishes under the Department of Health a medical cannabis regulatory office that will supervise cannabis’ medical use.
Under Albano’s proposal, registered identification (ID) cards will be issued to qualified patients after a careful review of the documents required and included in the implementing rules and regulations of the proposed law.
Albano said an entity will operate as a Medical Cannabis Compassionate Center (MCCC) after approval of its application and registration. A MCCC shall guarantee the appropriate dispensation of cannabis and shall not release more than the prescribed dosage for one month to a registered qualified patient or designated caregiver, Albano added.