Medical groups buck medical marijuana bill

MANILA, Philippines—Citing that the proposed medical marijuana bill is a health and safety risk, medical doctor groups said Thursday that they are opposing its passage.

In a statement signed by doctors, they said that House Bill (HB) 4477 or the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Bill authored by Isabela Representative Rodolfo Albano III, will not ensure the well-being of Filipinos.

“HB 4477 is contrary to the policy of the state to safeguard the well-being of its citizenry particularly the youth from the harmful effects of dangerous drugs,” the statement said.

Several groups of doctors are not keen on supporting a bill in Congress seeking to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes. AP FILE PHOTO

The bill seeks to “legalize and regulate the medical use of cannabis which has been confirmed to have beneficial and therapeutic uses to treat chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition.”
The doctors said that although they understand that some patients will be able to benefit from the legalization of medical marijuana, their opposition to the bill is part of their “moral and ethical responsibility” to ensure the safety of their patients.

The statement was signed by members of the Philippine Medical Association, Philippine College of Physicians, Child Neurology Society of the Philippines, Group of Addiction Psychiatry of the Philippines, Pain Society of the Philippines, Philippine League Against Epilepsy Inc., Philippine Neurological Association, Philippine Psychiatric Association, Philippine Society of Clinical and Occupational Toxicology and the UP-PGH National Poison Management and Control Center.

Philippine Cannabis Compassion Society, a non-government organization of medical marijuana advocates, has a Change.org petition asking the public support for the passage of HB 4477. Out of their targeted 1,000,000 signatures, they have only obtained 2,767 signatures as of posting time.

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