EDITORIAL - Legalizing marijuana absolutely unnecessary
Cebu's representatives to Congress might do well to do as Rep. Raul del Mar of Cebu City's north district has done --- oppose HB 6517 which seeks to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes before it gets enough traction. This country has gone too far down the road to hell impelled by illegal drugs without us having to summon yet another driving force to push us even further.
Del Mar is correct. The purpose is incongruous, the timing awful. "Why are you pushing for the legalization of medical marijuana when we are at war against illegal drugs? At a time when so much effort and resources of government are used to curb drug addiction, when the issue has rocked and divided the nation, why increase the risk of having more drug addicts through the so-called legalized marijuana? Why add another problem to the heap of problems spawned by illegal drugs?"
Yes, why indeed? It is difficult to see why anyone would still want to tinker with marijuana and its limited medicinal possibilities when in this day and age every conceivable drug or medicine is already in the market for the treatment of almost every conceivable disease or affliction. What is there in marijuana that cannot be done by some other drug with far less potential to be abused?
If the purpose of legalizing marijuana is simply to make the Philippines look hip because some other western country has done it, then that is too cheap a shot for hipness. On the other hand, the chance for remorse far outweighs its limited promise, if at all. It is not as if Filipinos are dropping dead already for want of a toke of marijuana that cannot be addressed by some other available and well-proven medicine.
The problem with some legislators of ours is that they are so bankrupt of ideas and originality that all they do is look out for some interesting pieces of legislation from abroad that they can copy and implement here. Never mind if these pieces of legislation are unnecessary and unwarranted or worse, actually detrimental to the well-being of Filipinos.
And if there is wisdom in numbers, then del Mar is absolutely right that while the sponsors of the bill noted 27 countries have legalized the use of marijuana, then that means the remaining 168 countries in the world, an overwhelming majority, have chosen to reject it. Marijuana does not carry with it any medicinal value that is not already available in a much safer, non-addictive form. We are fine as we are. Why do we have to tempt fate at all?
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