Marijuana-filled vapes: Cebu City council pushes probe

BAN ON VAPE AND E-CIGARETTE 
A vaper exhales smoke at a designated smoking area in Quezon City on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. | INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The use of marijuana-filled vapes in Cebu City must be investigated and stopped, a Cebu City Councilor said in a proposed resolution.

City Councilor Rey Gealon authored the resolution, requesting the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to investigate and determine the presence and use of marijuana-filled vapes in the city.

The said resolution was approved during the city’s regular session on April 17, 2024.

READ: PRO-7 warns against use of marijuana-flavored vapes

READ: Tougher measures needed to protect PH youth from ‘vapedemic’

In the resolution, Gealon stated that preventing the production and distribution of marijuana concealed in e-cigarettes or vaping devices is an urgent public health priority.

He also said that during the first week of March, authorities from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Customs seized 18 balikbayan boxes containing cannabis oil and marijuana kush concealed within e-cigarettes.

The seized contents was valued at P337 million.

Also on March 14, the PDEA, in collaboration with another law enforcement agency, seized cannabis oil, marijuana kush, and multiple vape products, which totaled nearly P1 million in value.

Gealon, in his resolution, stressed that long-term marijuana usage can irritate the lungs and airways, increasing the likelihood of respiratory infections, bronchitis, and other issues, as well as phlegm, coughing, and wheezing.

READ: PDEA warns vs. proliferation of Marijuana-flavored vapes

READ: PDEA-7: No marijuana-flavored vapes in Central Visayas

Meanwhile, in Cebu City, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) has already issued a warning against the use and proliferation of marijuana-flavored vape products.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, the PRO-7 spokesperson, said they will arrest individuals who sell marijuana-filled vapes.

The sale and use of marijuana remain illegal in the Philippines.

Although there have been no recorded cases on the use of marijuana-filled vapes yet in Central Visayas, the PRO-7 said that they would not show leniency towards individuals engaged in illegal drug activities, as it is a clear violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./ with reports from Mark Bandolon