MANILA — The House of Representatives’ Health Committee has unanimously approved a measure seeking to legalize and regulate the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
According to a statement on Tuesday, the House Health Committee approved House Bill 180, otherwise known as the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act, after extensive consultations with different stakeholders including patients, advocacy groups, experts, and industry professionals, among others.
Isabela Rep. Rodolfo T. Albano III, the author of the bill, said thousands of patients suffering from serious and debilitating diseases in the Philippines would benefit from legalizing the medical use of cannabis.
Albano said the bill’s intent is to invoke the right of the patient to choose treatment and the duty of the physician to honor the patient’s decision, as well as to inform the patient of the side effects of such treatment.
The bill provides for the establishment of the Medical Cannabis Compassionate Center (MCCC) licensed by the Department of Health (DOH) to acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, sell, supply and dispense cannabis, devices or related supplies to registered qualifying patients.
The bill also seeks the creation of a Medical Cannabis Safety Compliance Facility (MCSCF) to conduct scientific and medical research on the medical use of cannabis and provides testing services for its potency and contaminants.
The bill mandates the DOH to issue identification cards to qualified medical patients after a careful review of their required documents.
The DOH will be the lead regulatory agency in consultation with the Food and Drug Administration. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency shall have a key role in monitoring and regulating the dispensation of medical cannabis in health facilities. (PNA)
