Medical marijuana use only allowed for research, humanitarian purposes —DOH

Use of medical cannabis or marijuana for research and humanitarian purpose is already provided by law, but would be a long time before its use for other purposes is allowed, according to the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday.

Dr. Ivan Escartin, Dangerous Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program Manager, said at a press briefing that the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 required the creation of implementing guidelines for the proper cultivation of medical cannabis and other materials for research purposes in medical laboratories.

“Such dangerous drugs for medical experiments and research purposes or for creation of new types of medicines, the board – DDB (Dangerous Drugs Board) – shall prescribe the necessary implementing guidelines,” Escartin said.

“The DDB has issued DDB Board Regulation Number One for 2014... specific dito nakalagay is Section 14, which permits in relation to laboratory use and or the programs for medical or other scientific research,” he added.

Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration has a provision in their rules and regulations for the compassionate use of medical cannabis.

“There is already a provision on the compassionate use of medical cannabis but with strict compliance with the FDA standards, rules and regulations as well as satisfying the requirements of safety, efficacy, and quality,” Escartin said.

Newly-appointed Health Secretary Francisco Duque said he was in favor of using marijuana for “compassionate use” and referred to House Bill 180 "Philippine Medical Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act,” approved in September.

The bill seeks the legalization of cannabis or marijuana for medical use to treat chronic or debilitating medical conditions through Medical Cannabis Compassionate Centers (MCCC).

Former health secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell Ubial previously said that individuals may apply for a special permit with the FDA to use medical marijuana “for humanitarian or for special cases.”

Harm outweighs benefits

Though he believes in its compassionate use, Duque said that under current laws, medical cannabis can only be used for research purposes and for patients “who are unresponsive to traditional modalities of treatment as the known harm that comes from use of the drug currently outweighs its potential benefits."

“The medical cannabis in its synthetic form is more symptomatic. It's not really for treatment, it's for symptomatic relief of pain and spasticity in, say, multiple sclerosis, in certain types of cancer, anorexia in HIV/AIDS, and also for some other indications,” Duque said.

“But earlier on, I also emphasized that it seems that the potential risks outweigh the potential benefits because we all know that the active ingredients of marijuana, the ninetetrahydrocannabinol, are psychoactive ingredients which may impair your psychomotor, cognitive functions and therefore increase risk of differentiated or abnormal perceptions,” he continued.

In a research setting, synthetic cannabis can still be used to address intractable symptoms for patients but its pharmaceutical form must be used should it be approved for medical use as the risks are more profound if used in its raw form.

“Dapat nga, as we said, it should be used in its pharmaceutical form. Mahirap kasi pagka yung in its raw form; uncontrolled, subject to abuse, addiction, and that is rare” Duque explained.

“I believe the risks are most profound, siyempre kakainin mo, hihithitin mo, madisgrasya ka, magkaroon ng complications. Maraming complications rin yan, cardiovascular, pulmonary, andaming mga research studies showing the potential risks are far more profound than whatever symptomatic application it might provide,” he said.

Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde, Office of Health Regulation, said the DOH would convene a technical working group involving the FDA, health facilities, the University of the Philippines, and other institutions to discuss the possible legalization of medical cannabis, as proposed under HB 6517, 180 and 4477.

“Well further review the implication of the law because in its raw form, medyo yan yung mas questionable. But we already have some mechanisms for the compassionate use for very limited areas where this can be used on the medical side,” he said. — MDM, GMA News