DAVAO CITY — In preparation for the pending House Bill aimed at legalization of medical marijuana, Davao del Norte First District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez personally visited Bauertek Corporation recently.
Alvarez in a statement said “I want to see their factory and personally witness how they process the weeds to produce medical cannabis or marijuana, if ever the bill becomes a law.”
Scientist Dr. Richard Nixon, Gomez, the inventor and Bauertek general manager gave Alvarez a plant tour showcasing the technology and the facilities inside the laboratory.
The Davao del Norte Representative authored House Bill (HB) No. 6783 also known as the Decriminalization of Marijuana said the bills aims to amend Republic Act (RA) No. 9165 or to Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which will pave the way for the legalization of medicinal marijuana.
Last week, former president and now Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has joined former House speaker Pantaleon Alvarez in endorsing the use or legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.
Arroyo’s House Bill No 7817 pointed out “The use of cannabis for medical purposes is provided for by both existing international and national law.” “It is the intention of this bill to have a harmonious partnership between the physician and a patient where no one is above the other,” she added.
During the 18th Congress (2019-2022) she also filed HB 6517, it only reached the second reading.
Arroyo emphasized the objective of HB 6517 “Is for the patient to have access to safe, affordable, available medical cannabis prescribed by a registered treatment and management of specified symptoms, illnesses and diseases.”
In an interview with House reporters, Arroyo was quoted saying “I really believe in medical cannabis. As you know I have my problem here (cervical spine) and when I’m in a country that allows it, I put a pain patch, but here in the Philippines I cannot do it.”
A believer of the good effects of medical marijuana, Arroyo stated “I authored that bill because I believe that it can help me and many other people, but there was a lot of objection to the bill from the House and from the Senate. That’s why we are just letting the legislative process take its course.”
Nobody has yet died of marijuana use unlike health hazards alcohol, cigarettes and sugary substances, the author of the bill decriminalizing the prohibited drug admitted that it would pave the way for legalizing plantations for commercial use, Alvarez emphasized.
“In effect yes (it would lead to full legalization), because if this will no longer be prohibited, then people will be allowed to plant this instead of our very expensive onions. This may in fact be much cheaper than onions,” Alvarez said in February.
Alvarez has earlier said nobody died of marijuana use, he has repeatedly pointed out “As far as I know, persons who used marijuana have either not died or been hospitalized. I really don’t know why this substance remains prohibited until now,” the buddy of former president Rodrigo Duterte said. “What we should be banning are alcohol, cigarettes and sugar substances.”
“We cannot compare cocaine with marijuana of course, precisely because we all have seen the ill effects of cocaine to persons, even in other countries, specifically the harm that it gives to the body of individuals who use cocaine. The effect is really bad,” he stressed.
The Davao del Norte Congressman said when Thailand started to legalize the medical use of marijuana tourists arrival increased since surrounding has yet to legalize its use, saying most of the tourism come their for medical purpose because Thailand is closer compared to Canada and America.
He urged fellow lawmakers to support the bill for Filipinos to have an affordable medicine especially those with complicated illness.
