Senator approves measure seeking medical use of marijuana

THIRTEEN senators have approved a committee report related to a bill that seeks to legalize the medical use of cannabis or marijuana.

Committee Report 210, which contains Senate Bill (SB) 2573, or the proposed "Cannabis Medicalization Act of the Philippines," was submitted by the joint Senate committees on Health and Demography, on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, and on Finance.

It was signed by its author and subcommittee chairman Senator Robin Padilla and Senators Sonny Angara, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, JV Ejercito, Lito Lapid and Raffy Tulfo.

Senators Grace Poe, Majority leader Joel Villanueva, Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Jinggoy Estrada also signed the report but have expressed intention to interpellate and introduce amendments during plenary debates.

Senators Christopher “Bong”Go, Mark Villar and Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. also approved the report but with reservations.

Under SB 2573, “the state shall legalize and regulate the medical use of cannabis which has been confirmed to have beneficial and therapeutic uses for known debilitating medical conditions.”

This includes the acquisition, possession, transportation, delivery, dispensing, administration, cultivation, or manufacturing by private individuals or entities only for medical and research purposes.

The measure will mandate the creation of the Philippine Medical Cannabis Authority (PCMA), which will be under the Department of Health, which will serve as the principal regulatory and implementing agency of the measure.

Importation of medical cannabis will be limited to countries with established medical cannabis regimes or countries already using the same medical cannabis products in the last five years.

Patients prescribed to use medical marijuana are prohibited to use cannabis for purposes other than for treatment of a debilitating medical condition and outside of the designated treatment facilities, use it with other illegal intoxicating or dangerous substances and sell or give it away.

Doctors are prohibited to prescribe medical cannabis without an S2 license, prescribe it to any person who is not a qualified patient under the measure, for purposes other than for treatment of a debilitating medical condition, in quantity more than the needed dosage, refuse to maintain the record of all his or her patients and prescriptions issue, and issue a written prescription for his or her own use, or the use of his or her immediate family or relatives within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity.

A joint House committee also approved earlier a counterpart bill of SB 2573. (TPM/ SunStar Philippi nes)