Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte supports the legalization of medical cannabis

The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is unfavorably known for its extremely violent anti-drug policy which claims thousands of lives. So it's all the more surprising to see him now supporting the legalization of medical cannabis. At a press conference in Malacañang, his spokesman Salvador Panelo declared that «the President is in favor of a limited use of cannabis» and that «he will support and sign any legislative proposal in line with this position». The debate on medical cannabis was reopened after the new Miss Universe, Filipina Catriona Gray, declared that she was in favour of the therapeutic use of cannabis.

New impetus for Bill 6517

A proposed law aimed at regulating medical cannabis had already been tabled in 2017. It had been approved by the Health Committee of the House of Representatives, but had been lying dormant in Parliament ever since. Rodolfo Albano III, the main deputy behind the proposal, welcomed the President's interest. «Bill 6517 adopts a very strict regulatory framework. It does not decriminalize cannabis use, which is not recreational. It creates a limited exception to the country's criminal law and civil code to allow doctors to prescribe medical cannabis to patients suffering from serious and disabling illnesses».» he explains.

The proposal calls for the Ministry of Health to take charge of licensing and maintaining a register of authorized patients. It will also be up to the Ministry's secretariat to design the regulations needed to implement the program. To access to medical cannabis, Under the new law, patients must obtain a prescription from a licensed practitioner. Cannabis would not be available in its smokable form, and would only be accessible in specialized hospitals, Ministry-run hospitals and private clinics with a license. The illnesses that would justify its prescription are as follows:

• Cachexia
• Chronic pain
• Severe nausea
• Epilepsy
• Severe muscular rigidity, including multiple sclerosis
• Palliative care

Is medical cannabis already legal?

For Senate President Vicente Sotto II, this proposal is nothing new, as medical cannabis is already available under certain conditions. He explains that Law No. 9165, also known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, allows patients to apply for a special compassionate permit from the National Food and Health Safety Agency. This permit gives access to drugs that are not normally authorized on the territory. For Sotto, there's no need to pass a law because medical cannabis can be accessed in this way.

Nevertheless, regulation of medical cannabis would democratize its use and greatly facilitate access to it. For the moment, there is no legal distinction between unlicensed medical use and recreational use. Both are punishable by fines of up to 10 million Philippine pesos (around 165,000 euros) and life imprisonment. In addition to these extremely severe laws, there is the bloody repression of drug trafficking, which sometimes makes no distinction between the trafficker and the simple consumer. In fact, President Duterte has created controversy joking« about taking cannabis himself to stay awake and on schedule.