Sotto rejects calls to legalize use of marijuana

MANILA, Philippines - Legalizing the use of marijuana for medical reasons will only promote its use among the youth, according to Senate deputy minority leader Vicente Sotto.

“If your child is using marijuana, will you encourage its continued use, or will you ask him to stop using it? We will be sending a wrong message to the youth if we legalize marijuana,” Sotto said in his privilege speech before the Senate on Wednesday.

Citing data from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Sotto said marijuana, next to shabu, has been consistently among the most abused substances. “It’s a big business for the drug pushers today, and legalizing it will further boost the business,” he added.

Sotto, former DDB chairman, said there is only one ingredient in marijuana that has medicinal properties.

Research showed that cannabidiol or CBD, a minor non-psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, has a whole range of therapeutic benefits.

“If it is the only component which cures… why will we legalize the use and cultivation of marijuana? The proposal is misleading. It is camouflaged under the term ‘medical marijuana’,” Sotto said.

“You don’t declare a bomb legal just because a small component of the bomb can be used to light up your house,” he said.

Sotto also cited a recent ruling in Canada that declared marijuana as illegal even as it allowed the use of medical marijuana when appropriately prescribed.