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Sotto: Medical marijuana is already legal in PHL


Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Tuesday there is no need to pass a law legalizing  marijuana for medical use because there is already one.

“It is just a matter of information campaign,” Sotto told reporters. The lawmaker made the remark on the heels of Catriona Gray's victory in the 2018 Miss Universe pageant on Monday, in which she expressed — in one of the Q&A portions — her approval of marijuana use for medicinal purposes but not for recreational ones.

Sotto said Section 2, Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act states that it is the policy of the State to safeguard the integrity of its territory and the well-being of its citizenry particularly the youth, from the harmful effects of dangerous drugs on their physical and mental well-being, and to defend the same against acts or omissions detrimental to their development and preservation.

“The government shall, however, aim to achieve a balance in the national drug control program so that people with legitimate medical needs are not prevented from being treated with adequate amounts of appropriate medications, which include the use of dangerous drugs,” Sotto quoted the provision in the law which he authored.

“Ang linaw nito. Ang ka-kombinasyon nito, ‘yung FDA Compassionate Special Permit Circular No. 2014-009,” he said.

He said the Food and Drug Administration also has Compassionate Special Permit Circular that provides access to drugs and medicines that are not registered in the Philippines for compassionate use.

He clarified that it is the attending physician’s responsibility to apply for the substance permit from the FDA.

The Senate leader said a report from the FDA in October 2017 stated that it receives an average of 50 applications a month for compassionate special permits, mostly for cancer medication.

As of September 30, 2017, 583 out of 585 applications have been granted.

In 2016, 558 of 565 applications were approved, said Sotto.

He said the compassionate permit is for marijuana and other dangerous drugs that might be beneficial to the patient.

“So in the RA 9165 and FDA circular, we have a compassionate use provision. It is allowed already. So what are they talking about, they just don’t know the law,” he said.

“Meron na ba kayong nabalitaan na ang PNP hinuli ang medical marijuana? Wala, dahil hindi bawal e. Ano ang ile-legalize mo e legal,” he added.

He said there is enough safeguard in the law to prevent abuses.

“Ang binibigyan ng permit yung medical cannabis,” he said.

He added that they included the provision in 2002 because the use of medical marijuana was being deliberated in the US at the time. — MDM, GMA News

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