Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday admitted she uses marijuana pain patch to ease the pain she experiences from her cervical spine problem.
In an interview, Arroyo shared the effectiveness of marijuana as medicine but clarified she only uses it when in a country where the plant is legal.
“Well, as you know I am an author of that. I really believe in medical cannabis. As you know I have my problem here (cervical spine) and when I’m in a country that allows it, I put a pain patch but here in the Philippines I cannot do it,” she said.
Arroyo is one of the authors of House Bill 6517 Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act which seeks to amend Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The bill has been pending approval on second reading since October 2017.
“So I authored that bill because I believe that it can help me and many other people but there was a lot of objection to the bill from the House and from the Senate,” Arroyo said.
“That’s why we are just letting the legislative process take its course. Right now it’s on second reading,” she added.
At present, marijuana is tagged as a prohibited substance, just like methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, cocaine and heroin, under the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Under the law, mere possession of at least 500 grams of marijuana, or at least 10 grams of marijuana concentrate (resin or resin oil), is punishable by life in prison plus a fine of up to P10 million.
Carrying lesser quantities of the drug is punishable by 12 to 20 years in prison plus a fine of up to P500,000.
Isabela Rep. Rodito Albano, principal author of the medical marijuana bill, there is nothing wrong with the medical marijuana bill.
Albano said his proposal seeks to provide compassionate and right of access to medical cannabis and expand research into its medicinal properties.
However, Albano said the bill should not be deemed in any manner to advocate, authorize, promote, or legally or socially accept the use of cannabis or marijuana for any non-medical use.
Albano called on his colleagues “to decide based on evidence” citing the numerous clinical trials around the world that have shown the safety and efficacy of cannabis and its therapeutic and palliative effects.
Earlier, Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza accused several lawmakers want to legalize medical marijuana because they themselves are eager to go into the business of cultivating the plant.
The legalization of medical marijuana would open the floodgates to abuse and addiction and create an unwanted public health emergency in the country, Atienza warned.