House approves bill granting access to medicinal cannabis on 3rd reading

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MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has approved a bill on its third and final reading that grants certain patients access to medicinal cannabis.

During the session on Tuesday, 177 lawmakers voted in favor of House Bill No. 10439 or the proposed Access to Medical Cannabis Act, with nine lawmakers voting in the negative and nine abstentions.

If enacted, a Medical Cannabis Office (MCO) will be created, which will be the primary regulatory body for medical cannabis, having administrative, regulatory, and monitoring functions.

The MCO will be under the Department of Health.

It will be responsible for ensuring that medical marijuana will not be abused and will solely be used for health purposes.

“The MCO shall ensure that medical cannabis shall only be accessed through hospitals, clinics, drugstores, and other medical facilities authorized and licensed by the MCO for the use of qualified patients. It shall also ensure that only accredited physicians shall prescribe medical cannabis to qualified patients enough supply of the medicine to last not more than one (1) year,” the bill states.

“The MCO shall establish a monitoring system that includes information such as name, address of the qualified patient and the physician, diagnosis, medical cannabis product and formulation, and date of dispensation in strict observance of RA 10173, otherwise known as the ‘Data Privacy Act of 2012’,” it added.

Last February 7, the House committee on dangerous drugs and the committee on health approved a substitute measure, which was the product of technical working group meetings and amendments during the hearing itself.

There were 10 House bills consolidated by the TWG, but the proposal was not brought to the plenary before session adjourned last March 22 for the Holy Week.

It was approved on second reading last May 22, before the second regular session of the 19th Congress adjourned.

There is growing support for allowing medicinal marijuana in the Philippines, even among hardline anti-drug advocates like Senator Ronald dela Rosa and House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chairperson and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.

Committee on Health Chairperson Batanes Rep. Ciriaco Gato also supported the measure when the two committees approved it, but he expressed concerns about some provisions in the substitute bill.

Gato said that while he backs the substitute bill, he has strong reservations over allowing the cultivation of the marijuana plant in the country.

Medicinal cannabis, or particularly Cannabidiol (CBD) oil — derived from the marijuana plant — is believed to alleviate pain and seizures in some patients battling epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and other neurological conditions. However, a law allowing normal use of CBD oil is needed as the plant is currently labeled as a banned substance.

Cultivation and manufacturing of marijuana is included in Section 6 of the draft substitute bill which was discussed by the two committees earlier. Under the panel, the proposed Medical Cannabis Office will be in charge of promulgating rules in the importation, cultivation, and manufacture of medicinal cannabis.

In the bill passed by the House, cultivation guidelines will be crafted by the MCO, but only in a closed-locked facility.

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