Robin Pushes Medical Marijuana as Compassionate Alternative Treatment

Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla is pushing for the legalization of medical marijuana or cannabis as a "compassionate alternative means of medical treatment" in the Philippines.

Padilla, in filing Senate Bill 230, also sought the expansion of research into the medicinal properties of marijuana, which has been widely used as herbal medicine to treat conditions including gout, rheumatism, and malaria.

He also included safeguards in his bill to "ensure that abuses for casual use or profiteering" will be avoided.

"The State should, by way of exception, allow the use of cannabis for compassionate purposes to promote the health and well-being of citizens proven to be in dire need of such while at the same time providing the strictest regulations to ensure that abuses for casual use or profiteering be avoided," he said in his bill.

Under the bill, medical cannabis - which refers to products such as capsules and oil, and not raw cannabis - may be used for "debilitating medical conditions" of "qualified patients."

The bill defines "debilitating medical condition" to include cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous system of the spinal cord, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis or similar chronic autoimmune deficiency, diseases requiring hospice care, severe nausea, sleep disorders, mood disorders, recurring migraine headaches, and other debilitating medical conditions identified by the Department of Health through the Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee.

It designates the DOH as the principal regulatory agency that shall establish Medical Cannabis Compassionate Centers (MCCCs) in public tertiary hospitals. The DOH will also set up a Prescription Monitoring System and an electronic database of registered medical cannabis patients and their physicians.

The Food and Drug Administration will test medical cannabis products, while the Dangerous Drugs Board and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency will monitor and regulate medical cannabis.

Also, the DOH will issue registry ID cards to qualified medical cannabis patients.

Meanwhile, the bill contains safeguards to prevent the abuse of marijuana, including:

* 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to P10 million for qualified patients who will abuse cannabis; or give or sell it;

* 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to P10 million for officials or employees of the MCCC who will dispense medical cannabis without written certifications from the certifying physician or registry ID cards of qualified patients;

* 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to P10 million for those who will use falsified ID cards or S2 licenses to obtain medical cannabis;

* 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to P10 million for doctors who certify and prescribe ng medical cannabis without S2 licenses or prescribe such for patients who are not qualified, or prescribe cannabis for their own use or for the use of relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity;

* 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to P10 million for officials or employees of the MCCC who supply medical cannabis to unqualified patients;

* 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to P10 million for those who buy medical cannabis but are not authorized to do so

Under the bill, a doctor who violates the provisions of the measure faces the suspension or revocation of his/her professional license.

Meanwhile, the bill also provides for enhancing research and development for medical cannabis - and the training of medical cannabis physicians and pharmacists.

Robin, Isinulong na Payagan ang Medical Marijuana Bilang Compassionate Alternative Treatment

Isinulong ni Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla na payagan sa Pilipinas ang paggamit ng medical marijuana o cannabis at sa mas malawak na pananaliksik dito bilang gamot.

Ani Padilla sa Senate Bill 230, matagal nang ginamit ang marijuana bilang herbal medicine para sa mga karamdaman tulad ng gout, rheumatism, at malaria.

Nguni't iginiit din niya na dapat magkaroon ng parusa sa pag-abuso ng marijuana.

"The State should, by way of exception, allow the use of cannabis for compassionate purposes to promote the health and well-being of citizens proven to be in dire need of such while at the same time providing the strictest regulations to ensure that abuses for casual use or profiteering be avoided," ayon sa mambabatas.

Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas, ang medical cannabis - na produkto na tulad ng capsule at oil at hindi ang raw cannabis - ay gagamitin para sa "debilitating medical condition" ng "qualified patients."

Ang "debilitating medical condition" ay limitado sa cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, damage sa nervous system ng spinal cord, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis or similar chronic autoimmune deficiency, sakit na nangangailangan ng hospice care, severe nausea, sleep disorders, mood disorders, recurring migraine headaches, at iba pang debilitating medical condition ayon sa Department of Health sa pamamagitan ng Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee.

Magiging principal regulatory agency ang DOH na magtatayo ng Medical Cannabis Compassionate Center (MCCC) sa public tertiary hospitals at gagawa ng Prescription Monitoring System at electronic database ng registered medical cannabis patients at physicians.

Ang Food and Drug Administration ang magte-testing sa medical cannabis product, habang ang Dangerous Drugs Board at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency ang magmo-monitor at magre-regulate ng medical cannabis.

Samantala, ang DOH ang mag-i-issue ng registry ID cards sa qualified medical cannabis patients.

May mga safeguards ang panukalang batas para tiyaking hindi maaabuso ang marijuana. Kasama sa mga parusa ang:

* 12 taong kulong at multa hanggang P10 milyon sa qualified patients na mag-aabuso ng cannabis; o magbibigay o magbebenta ng medical cannabis;

* 12 taong kulong at multa hanggang P10 milyon para sa opisyal o myembro ng MCCC na mag-dispense ng medical cannabis nang walang written certification ng certifying physician o registry ID card ng qualified patient;

* 12 taong kulong at multa hanggang P10 milyon para sa magpepeke ng ID card o S2 license para makakuha ng medical cannabis;

* 20 taong kulong at multa hanggang P10 milyon para sa duktor na nag-certify at prescribe ng medical cannabis na walang S2 license o nag-prescribe para sa pasyenteng hindi kwalipikado - o nag-prescribe ng cannabis para sa sarili o sa kamaganak hanggang fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity;

* 20 taong kulong at multa hanggang P10 milyon para sa opisyal o empleyado ng MCCC na nag-supply ng medical cannabis sa hindi kwalipikadong pasyente;

* 20 taong kulong at multa hanggang P10 milyon para sa kahit na sinong bibili ng medical cannabis kahit hindi awtorisado;

Maaaring suspindihin o bawiin ang professional license ng duktor na lumabag sa probisyon ng panukalang batas.

Isinulong din ng panukalang batas ang pagpapalawak ng research and development para sa medical cannabis - at ang training ng medical cannabis physicians at pharmacists.