Decriminalisation of cannabis in the Philippines: Parliament relaunches discussions

A committee of the Philippine Parliament has examined a bill to decriminalize the production, sale and consumption of cannabis in the Philippines.

The lower house's Dangerous Drugs Committee, chaired by Robert Ace Barbers, has proposed forming a technical working group with the Health Committee to flesh out the bill introduced by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

In his speech, Alvarez used colorful language to describe the current state of cannabis in the country.

«The classification of cannabis and its derivatives as dangerous drugs is bullshit. It makes no sense whatsoever. And we must correct this absurdity,» he declared on Tuesday, February 21.

«If the government allows harmful products like alcoholic beverages, carcinogenic cigarettes and sugary drinks that promote diabetes, why can't we decriminalize the production and sale of a substance that is less harmful, has many benefits and can be a source of revenue for the government?» questioned Alvarez.

The former parliamentary leader also argued that legalizing cannabis in the Philippines would generate wealth that the government could use for its programs and projects.

«We can decriminalize cannabis and its derivatives, and we can collect billions in taxes on its production and sale. We can use the extra revenue to build more roads and bridges, more classrooms and hospitals, and more public services in pursuit of the common good. We can also use the additional taxes collected to help our country pay off the deep debt created by the economic crisis during the pandemic,» said Alvarez.

What the bill says

Republic Act 9165, also known as the Amended Dangerous Drugs Act, classifies cannabis as a dangerous drug or substance.

Persons convicted of cannabis cultivation and possession of 10 grams of cannabis resin or cannabis resin oil, as well as 500 grams or more of cannabis, are liable to a fine of up to 10 million pesetas. and a life sentence.

Alvarez's proposal, the House Bill No. 6783, is to exclude cannabis, cannabis resin, cannabis extracts and cannabis tinctures from the list.

Batanes representative Ciriaco Gato expressed concern that removing cannabis from the list would pave the way for the recreational use of cannabis.

«I think that if alcohol and tobacco are really bad, so is cannabis. As for which is more harmful, I think it depends on the quantity,» said Gato, arguing that one variety of cannabis has negative effects. «Cannabis, just like alcohol, has certain effects from a medical and social point of view.»

Outlook

The proposal is still in its early stages, and is not one of the Marcos administration's priority bills. The Dangerous Drugs Commission is also looking into the matter in greater depth.

«I would first like to listen to the opinions of all the members, and the opinions of the experts,» Barbers told Call back when asked if he would support the measure and possibly defend it at the House plenary.

«A lot of discussion will have to take place because if the intention of the proposer is to remove it from the list, there must be reasons why they want to remove it,» he added. «Before pursuing the idea of making it available for sale, it must be removed [from the list of dangerous drugs].»

In addition to the bill tabled by Alvarez, a number of other bills aimed at legalize medical cannabis in the Philippines have been submitted to the Health Committee. The House, led by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the 17th Congress, previously approved a bill to legalize medical cannabis, but the proposal failed to pass the Senate.