PDEA, DDB open to downgrading marijuana from dangerous drugs list

Benguet police destroy marijuana plants in this screengrab from a video from the Philippine National Police.

MANILA, Philippines — The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) are open to downgrading marijuana by one level from the list of the world’s most dangerous drugs, Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa bared on Tuesday.

The matter was brought up during the Senate’s marathon plenary debates on the proposed 2025 funding of PDEA after Sen. Robin Padilla asked when the agency would adhere to the suggestion of the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

“The question is, when we conducted a hearing regarding medical marijuana, DDB and PDEA promised us that they would adhere to WHO and UN in terms of rescheduling cannabis. So my question is, when will we get the papers from DDB and PDEA that they would push through with downgrading it by one level?” Padilla said in Filipino.

At the end of Padilla’s questioning was Dela Rosa, who was speaking on behalf of PDEA as the sponsor of the agency’s budget.

According to Dela Rosa, PDEA is willing to push through with the downgrade, but he noted the need to amend Republic Act No. 9165 first.

“There’s no problem with PDEA. They are willing to do everything to downgrade marijuana, but we have to amend the law, RA 9165 before we can do otherwise because marijuana was annexed in this law as one of the prohibited substances,” he said in Filipino.

He explained that PDEA couldn’t reclassify right away because marijuana is “annexed” in RA 9165.

“There is a limitation of power to reclassify that we need to remove it first from the annex before it gets reclassified. But as far as willingness and approval and cooperation are concerned, they are very much willing to do everything,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino.

READ: Advocates hopeful law on medical cannabis to be passed this year