Advocates assure of strict access to medical marijuana if legalized

Advocates of the legalization of medical marijuana in the Philippines have assured that if the bill is enacted into law, access to the drug will only be for qualified patients.

This after the House of Representatives Committee on Health approved last month a bill seeking to allow the use of medical marijuana to treat chronic or debilitating health conditions.

"The bill clearly states that its for medical use so only qualified patients, legitimate patients are gonna be the beneficiaries of the bill," Kimmi Del Prado, founder of the Philippine Cannabis Compassion Society said on ANC's Early Edition Thursday.

Del Prado assured that the bill strictly prohibits smoking of marijuana as well as sale of the drug in raw form to avoid possible use for recreation.

"We’d like people to differentiate the recreational and the medical because this bill clearly states that this is for medical use," she said.

Dr. Donnabel Cunanan, also a member of the Philippine Cannabis Compassion Society and a mother of a child with epileptic seizure, highlighted the use of medical marijuana in treating patients with conditions like that of her child, as well as palliative management for cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, diabetes, and asthma, among others.

Cunanan reiterated that marijuana remains a dangerous drug and should not be used for recreational purposes.

"We would like to assure the public that this will not be available in their favorite drug stores," she said.

"We would like to reiterate that cannabis is still a dangerous drug so no recreational use and they just cannot access it anywhere," she added.