THE House Committee on dangerous drugs and health yesterday opened deliberations on various bills seeking to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
“Today, we stand at the crossroads of history. Ever since, marijuana and cannabis are considered taboo and banned and labeled as dangerous. Yet today, what used to be considered unthinkable is now happening. We are now conducting public hearings to possibly allow the use of this plant and the substance derived therefrom for medicinal use, at least,” Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the dangerous drugs panel, told the joint hearing.
In the 17th Congress, congressmen approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) No. 6517, or the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act but the Senate thumbed it down.
Among the bills discussed were House Bill Nos. 241, 2007, 4638, 4866, and 7817, all seeking to provide the right of access to medical cannabis “as a compassionate alternative means of medical treatment, expanding research into its medicinal properties.”
The measures were filed by Reps. Antonio Albano of Isabela; Ray Florence Reyes (PL, Anakalusugan); David Suarez of Quezon; Midy Cua of Quirino and Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who has long been advocates of cannabis for medicinal use.
Also pending before the panel are House Bill Nos. 243, 6783, and 7616 which seek to remove “cannabis and any form or derivative thereof cultivated, cultured, used, sold, distributed, or dispensed exclusively for medicinal and medical research purposes from the list of dangerous drugs and substances under existing laws, amending for the purpose RA 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended.”
The bills were filed by Albano, Cua, and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, a former speaker.
“Who knows, maybe the times have changed and at least for medicinal purposes, we can now consider using otherwise dangerous substances to benefit our countrymen whose medical conditions may be improved by such treatment,” Barbers said.
