MANILA, Philippines — A bill that would allow qualified patients to access medical marijuana has been approved by the House of Representatives on the third reading.
On Tuesday, the session saw 177 lawmakers voting in favor of House Bill No. 10439, also known as the proposed Access to Medical Cannabis Act.
Nine lawmakers opposed the bill, while another nine abstained from voting.
Should the bill become law, it will establish a Medical Cannabis Office (MCO) responsible for the regulation, administration, and monitoring of medical cannabis.
Several lawmakers have already extended their support to the passage of the medical marijuana bill, including Senators Robin Padilla, Bato Dela Rosa, and Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, among others.
Barbers, who chairs the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said that the use of marijuana in any form other than what the proposed law permits will remain illegal and subject to legal penalties.
He said that the proposed legislation restricts prescriptions to qualified physicians who meet specific criteria.
Under the bill, only the following medical conditions will be permitted to use medical marijuana:
– Cancer
– Glaucoma
– Multiple sclerosis
– Damage to the spinal cord’s nervous system, accompanied by objective neurological evidence of intractable spasticity
– Epilepsy
– Positive diagnosis for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
– Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
– Rheumatoid arthritis and similar chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorders
– Diseases requiring hospice care admission
– Any other conditions designated by the Department of Health through the Medical Cannabis Office
Medical experts believe that medical cannabis can help relieve pain and reduce seizures in certain patients suffering from different neurological disorders. However, the Philippines has yet to pass a law to legalize its usage.
Cannabis has been legalized for specific medical uses in several countries, including Austria, Britain, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, and Slovenia.
