Two Cordi solons oppose bill legalizing marijuana

By Dexter A. See 

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Two Cordillera lawmakers are set to oppose a bill filed in Congress by Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano legalizing the cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes, saying that Filipinos are not “mature enough to handle the situation.”

        

    Benguet Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan said the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes should not be an excuse to legalize the cultivation and sale of marijuana because there is no guarantee that the same will be strictly observed by the authorities and the people in general.

            “We are not yet ready for such thing. Legalizing marijuana for whatever purpose will open the floodgates to abuse, especially here in our country where our law enforcers are prone to be very willing partners with law breakers,” Cosalan said.

            Cosalan said numerous banned drugs are still being widely sold in the market and are abused by drug addicts, thus, it would be impractical for lawmakers to approve the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

            For several decades now, the Cordillera, especially Benguet, has been tagged as the major producer of marijuana being circulated in the country today because of its high grade classification.

            While Benguet will benefit from the legalization of marijuana, Cosalan explained government should not provide opportunities to people who are prone to abuse the cultivation and sale of the marijuana hemp.

            For his part, Baguio City Rep. Nicasio M. Aliping, Jr. said Congress must not rush future actions on the bill legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes because the sentiments of stakeholders must be evaluated, weighed and studied to prevent the law from providing opportunities for people to abuse the same.

            “This bill must be studied carefully, while the purpose is medical, there should be sufficient safeguards and strict regulations so that ambiguity and abuse should be avoided if passed in the future,”Aliping added.

Marijuana is illegal in the Philippines. Marijuana abuse could lead to physical impairment.

But medical marijuana has been confirmed to treat sever and chronic pain, nausea, seizures, consistent muscle spasms and sclerosis. Its use must be supervised by a physician.

Albano said many of his colleagues have expressed support for his proposed bill titled “Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act,” which seeks to provide “accessible, affordable, safe medical cannabis to qualified patients with debilitating medical conditions as certified by qualified doctors.”

He said the bill provides for establishment of a Medical Cannabis Compassionate Center, which will be registered with the Medical Cannabis Regulatory Authority licensed “to acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, sell, supply and dispense cannabis.”

Cosalan said that he will argue his objections to the passage of the bill once the deliberations of the same will be calendared for committee discussions by the House committee on dangerous drugs among others where the matter was referred for further study.