13 senators sign report on medical marijuana bill

MANILA, Philippines —  The Senate committee report on the legalization of cannabis as medicine for certain ailments has been signed by 13 senators.

The bill sponsored by Sen. Robinhood Padilla recognizes the medicinal quality of marijuana and seeks the establishment of a Philippine Medical Cannabis Authority under the Department of Health.

The Feb. 26 report was prepared jointly by the Senate committees on health and demography, public order and dangerous drugs and finance.

Senators Bong Go (health committee chair), Ronald dela Rosa (public order committee chair), Sonny Angara (finance committee chair), JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Mark Villar, Lito Lapid, Raffy Tulfo, Ramon Revilla Jr., Aquilino Pimentel III, Joel Villanueva and Grace Poe signed Senate health committee report 210.

Go, Villar and Revilla said they signed the report “with reservations” and vowed to interpellate to propose amendments.

Estrada, Pimentel, Poe and Villanueva signed with the caveat to interpellate to amend the bill.

The measure would allow the prescription of medical marijuana by licensed physicians to treat or alleviate patients’ debilitating diseases.

It also legalizes marijuana as a pharmaceutical industry product, allowing the plant to be cultivated and manufactured for research and development.

The proposed measure also authorizes dispensaries to sell medical marijuana products in the form of edibles, pills, oil, tinctures, flowers, topicals and inhalers.

Non-medical use of marijuana, such as for recreational smoking, would be penalized.