THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) hosted a briefing session with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and representatives from online shopping platforms Lazada, Tiktok, and Shopee to explore potential joint operations aimed at tackling illegal vape products.
During the briefing, intelligence officers from PDEA, Laila Abad and Lester Urmaza, discussed emerging domestic and global trends in addictive substances.
They highlighted the infusion of psilocybin, or magic mushrooms, and cannabis, or marijuana, into foods, drinks, and vape products. Both are listed on the Dangerous Drugs Board’s (DDB) updated list of Scheduled Controlled Substances.
PDEA suggested a renewal and update of a memorandum of agreement with the online platforms to better combat the evolving presence of illegal substances in the market.
