UNLESS there is serious proof that marijuana has medical benefits, Governor Hilario Davide III expressed reservations on the move to legalize the medical use of the drug.
Davide's pronouncement is an offshoot to the approval on third and final reading of House Bill 6517, or the Act Providing Compassionate and Right of Access to Medical Cannabis and Expanding Research into its Medicinal Properties and for Other Purposes last January 29.
"Although I remember having stated before that I am in favor of that, provided there is proof nga effective gyud ni, ang efficacy sa marijuana if used medically, but that should be thoroughly looked into, dili lang unta dali-dalion nila. Dapat tanang sectors and stakeholders i-consult on that matter," Davide said in an interview last Monday, February 4.
House Bill 6517 seeks the creation of the Medical Cannabis Compassionate Center (MCCC), which will be licensed with the Department of Health.
The Compassionate Center will acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, sell, supply and dispense cannabis to registered qualified patients.
The MCCC will keep and maintain confidential records of the patient including the dispensation of cannabis and prescribed dosage.
The governor lamented that it might be abused once made into law.
"For medicinal use, I don't know. Dako na nga debate tingali kay as we all know, marijuana is prohibited diri. In fact, it is punishable if you're using it, possess it, or even plant it. Kung aprobahan na nila, modaghan tingali ang mananom parehas sa Mexico, katong lugar nga notorious kaayo for marijuana plantation," he added.
Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, included marijuana as one of the dangerous drugs.
Under RA 9165, the culture, cultivation, sale, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, transportation, and use of cannabis is illegal and a punishable offense.
Records from the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office reveal that the Cebu Provincial Police Office confiscated around 440,825 grams of marijuana with a street value of P24.2 million last year.
This is 305,897 grams more and P16.8-million higher than what authorities were able to confiscate in 2017. (RTF/SunStar Cebu)