What’s the status of the bill proposing for the legalization of marijuana? After the house gave the green light last January for House Bill 6517 or the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act which seeks to provide “compassionate and right of access to medical cannabis and expanding research into its medicinal properties,” and the Palace giving also its greenlight, nothing has been heard ever since.

And then the turnaround by the President last March 8.

As early as May, the Senate thru Senate President Vicente Sotto III, declared that the Senate will not be pushing thru with the passage of the bill, rationalizing that the President did a 180 and declared that he will not allow the legalization of marijuana anymore aware of the big possibility of its abuse.

Sotto says it will just be a waste of the Senate’s time if they proceed with deliberations on the bill knowing for a fact that the President will just veto it.

The use of cannabis as a medicine is already allowed by law under the declaration of policy provisions in Republic Act no. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. Those who have legitimate reasons for the use of cannabis or to be very precise, the chemical cannabinol derived from it could secure a permit from the PDEA or the Presidential Drug Enforcement Agency. The PDEA has started research and tests on marijuana to determine if indeed, it can be use to treat chronic diseases.

Cannabis use is legal in 29 states in America. Studies have shown that a chemical in this hemp plant eases pain or serves as an effective painkiller. There are however, recent studies which show that there is another ingredient in the hemp plant called THD which causes hallucinatory episodes on patients, is the one responsible for the easement of chronic pain among sufferers.