2 senators push for ‘Marijuana’ legalization with safeguards in place

QUALIFIED patients may soon receive therapeutic and palliative benefits from medical cannabis or marijuana under Senator Robinhood Padilla’s  proposal while Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa said safeguards are already in place  in the measures allowing the use of the plant.

Sen. Padilla sponsored Senate Bill No. 2572 or the proposed Cannabis Medicalization Act of the Philippines.

On the other hand, Sen.  Dela Rosa assured that safeguards are in place in the proposed law allowing the use of cannabis for medical purposes. As a co-sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2573, he said the measure, among others, contains comprehensive standards for the medicalization of cannabis, from cultivation to distribution, as well as stringent licensing requirements for physicians, pharmacies, and industry players and establishment of a monitoring system. “Moreover, this act includes provisions against misuse and abuse, such as the prohibition of recreational use,” the former police chief added.

Under Padilla’s proposal, a Philippine Medical Cannabis Authority would be established under the Department of Health. This authority would be responsible for crafting a Comprehensive Cannabis Medicalization Plan, establishing regulations for the medical use of cannabis, implementing a monitoring and regulating system for medical cannabis and issuing licenses for registered entities within the medical cannabis industry.

“Ang inihahain pong batas ng inyong lingkod ay hango sa pag-aaral, pagsasaliksik, testimonya ng mga doktor at eksperto mula sa iba’t-ibang panig ng daigdig na may sapat na kaalaman at best practices sa pagpapatupad nito,” Padilla said in his sponsorship speech last Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa said SBN 2573 is in “full consonance” with the provisions of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Padilla and Dela Rosa’s measures are now in the Plenary for discussion.  Inventor, scientist and general manager of Bauertek Corporation, Richard Nixon Gomez was also present at the Plenary.

Gomez said that many illnesses are covered for treatment by medical cannabis like anxiety, sleep disorder, Parkinson’s diseases, cancer, and others.

He further explained that enactment of a law legalizing the use of medical marijuana would mean revenues and taxes for the government while generating job or employment for the people.

This also means that other pharmaceutical companies can lower medicine prices.

Recreational cannabis is not included in the proposed measures.

Bauertek Corporation is the country’s premier manufacturer of food supplements. It exceeds the country’s manufacturing standards, raising the bar for others to follow, it said in its website.