aldric de ocampo,
OPINION: Don’t Judge a Drug by Its Cover
With the talks about legislative measures on medical marijuana resurfacing since the Miss Universe pageant last December, we as a nation are yet again faced with the dilemma of whether the drug should be made legal here in the Philippines.
Miss Philippines Catriona Gray, during the pageant’s question and answer portion, expressed her support for its “medical use but not so for recreational use” in her answer, challenging the current status of the drug.
Malacañang responded on December 18 that President Rodrigo Duterte, despite his infamous war on drugs, is open to the legalization of medical marijuana. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that it is consistent with the President’s stand in his previous statements, so logically he would support and sign a bill for it.
This statement, though, was released a few weeks after the president made a controversial joke about how he used marijuana to keep himself awake. This is a point of discussion where his credibility on the issue can be challenged.
More recently though, on January 16, the Department of Health (DOH) represented by Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo, said that an enabling law is needed to put clinical research on the substance into motion. In relation to this, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also said that she is an author for the bill which aims to legalize the drug and that she uses a marijuana-based pain patch to address the pain in her cervical spine in countries that allow it the day before.
All these aside, it is still reasonable that medical marijuana can and should be legalized in the country. Why?
For one, there is research that proves its medicinal properties. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in the US, the whole, unprocessed plant or the basic extracts of cannabis, or marijuana, can treat conditions such as appetite problems, inflammations, multiple sclerosis, epileptic seizures, HIV/AIDS, and even cancer.
Cannabis was also first used as a medical treatment in China in 1737. This was found by Dr. Donnabel Cunanan, a dentist and an advocate for medical marijuana, after she did her own research on the drug as a result of her daughter experiencing a partial seizure disorder at two years-old.
Dr. Cunanan is also part of a non-profit organization, the Philippines Moms for Marijuana, later called the Philippine Cannabis Compassion Society (PCCS), a group that advocates legalizing medical cannabis so that parents from all walks of life can have the option of using it to cure their children’s debilitating diseases.
Surprisingly, as shared in a Rappler post, many of the parents in this community, including Cunanan, are conservatives when it comes to drug use. But since all the medical treatments they used for their children did not prove effective for curing spasms and seizures, they have decided to look for medical cannabis as a last resort.
Fortunately, House Bill (HB) 6517 or the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act, which has strict provisions regarding regulation and use concerns of the drug, is already being considered for second reading approval at the House of Representatives. This shows that there is a fighting chance for the advocacy to push through in law.
Isabela Representative Rodolfo Albano III, the main author of the bill, has already tried to push for it in 2014. Until now, he encourages public discussions on the topic so that the situation can be brought to light.
It is understandable that there is still widespread fear of drug abuse and addiction. It is after all, a commonly used drug for recreational purposes that can do more harm than good to human health. It is thought that if the substance attains a legitimate status, people, especially children, will gain more access to the drug and use it for recreation. We should not be alarmed though, for the bill has recognized this and its author has consistently emphasized its stringent regulation as a priority to avoid potential abuse.
Once the bill is ratified into law, the public must actively participate and comply with the provisions and regulations set in order to ensure that the law is effectively implemented. Along with this, education is key to clarifying misconceptions and unwarranted fears of the drug among the public. Moreover, garnering more support for the research and development of the drug will also prove to be useful to the medical community, the government, and ultimately, society.
The uphill fight for the controversial legalization of medical marijuana is still a challenge that must be faced by our community. Though the doubt still runs rampant among our fellow citizens, us advocates and supporters of the drug must remain patient and continue to fight for this cause as it is our responsibility to educate and assure the public that the changes we are asking for are changes that can be controlled and are able to help a vulnerable sector of society. //by Aldric de Ocampo
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