House panel ok's bill on medical cannabis

THE House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chaired by Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, in a joint hearing with the Committee on Health presided by Manila Rep. Giselle Mary Maceda, on Tuesday approved—subject to style and amendments—the consolidated bill on access to medical cannabis use.

The consolidated measures are House Bills (HBs) 193, 2861, 367, 420, 1115, and 3864. In their respective bills, the authors have cited studies showing the therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis for persons suffering from other debilitating medical conditions such as epilepsy, cancer, glaucoma, damage to the nervous system, and multiple sclerosis, among others.

A similar measure was approved by the House under the previous Congress, but was not enacted into law.

Maceda said the bill recognizes the use of medical cannabis as an alternative treatment to manage the suffering of qualified patients from neuropathic or chronic pain and provides safety measures and strict regulations to ensure that the medicinal plant is not abused.

She emphasized that the bill’s main goal is to make medical cannabis accessible both in terms of affordability and availability. Medical cannabis would be available in its pharmaceutical dosage forms.