THE House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, in a joint meeting with the Committee on Health, has moved to consolidate seven House Bills (HBs) seeking to allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes.
House Bills 193, 217, 367, 420, 1115, 2861, and 3864 seeks to authorize compassionate and expanded access to medical cannabis, establish a Medical Cannabis Office, broaden research into its medicinal properties, and set prohibited acts and penalties.
Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chairperson and Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores took note that six of the seven measures are already aligned in provisions, with Negros Occidental Rep. Javier Miguel Lopez Benitez, author of HB 317, indicating he may consider revising his bill to match the other measures.
During the hearing, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) Cancer Institute Dr. Anna Patricia Alcasabas acknowledged evidence that cannabis may address mild to moderate chronic pain.
She likewise expressed support for the position of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) and other health experts that further research is needed—specifically on its effectiveness, cost-benefit and the need for an implementation framework necessary to prevent abuse.
Committee on Health Chairperson and Batanes Rep. Ciriaco Gato Jr. clarified that the bills that are set to be consolidated pertain only to cannabis in its pharmaceutical form, which will be treated as a regulated drug under the supervision of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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