Earlier this month, the Philippine House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill that would legalise medical cannabis, marking a significant step forward for cannabis liberalisation in Southeast Asia.
House Bill 10439, which was initially submitted in May, 2024, received its third and final reading last week and was approved by a landslide of 177 votes in favour, nine votes against and 9 abstentions.
If the bill receives final approval in the Senate and is signed into law, a comprehensive framework for medical cannabis will be established, along with a new regulator to oversee the market, the Medical Cannabis Office (MCO).
Following the announcement, President of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino party, Senator, and long time cannabis advocate Robin Padella said in a press statement: “The passage of the bill legalising medical cannabis on the third and final reading in the House of Representatives is very good news.
“I am hopeful that its counterpart bill in the Senate that I am advocating – the Cannabis Medicalization Act – will also be approved, for the final signature of the President.”
What happened?
The bill, dubbed the ‘Medical Cannabis Act’ for short, has now been recommended for approval at its third reading.
It will now be sent to the Senate where it will undergo a similar process, with three readings enabling senators to debate and amend the bill set to occur before a ‘reconciliation’ period between the two houses.
The president will then be given the opportunity to approve or veto the bill before it is finally passed into law.
This comprehensive bill consolidates multiple previous attempts to legalise medical cannabis, piling House Bills 241, 243, 2007, 4208, 4638, 4866, 6783, 7616, 7817, and 9028 into a single proposal.
The Medical Cannabis Act establishes the right of patients to access medical cannabis as a compassionate alternative treatment. It also aims to expand research into the medicinal properties of cannabis.
A central feature of the bill is the creation of the Medical Cannabis Office (MCO) under the Department of Health (DOH), which will be responsible for regulating the entire program.
The MCO’s responsibilities include issuing authorizations to accredited physicians who wish to prescribe medical cannabis. These physicians must receive mandatory clearance from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) to ensure they are not listed on the agency’s dangerous drugs watch list.
The MCO will oversee the importation, cultivation, manufacture, storage, distribution, prescription, and sale of medical cannabis.
A sophisticated monitoring system will also be built to track cannabis from seed to sale, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Additionally, the bill recommends integrating medical cannabis studies into university and college curricula to foster a deeper understanding of its medicinal benefits.
You can read the full bill here.
Conditions Eligible for Treatment
The bill identifies several medical conditions that qualify for medical cannabis treatment. These include:
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- Multiple sclerosis
- Epilepsyhttps://prohibitionpartners.com/reports/the-asian-cannabis-report-2nd-edition/
- HIV
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Other chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorders requiring hospice care
Broader Context
According to Prohibition Partners’ ‘Asian Cannabis Report: 2nd Edition’, the DBB and FDA have already approved the use of CBD for patients with epilepsy. However, it is costly to do so, with the price of medical cannabis costing $25,000-$30,000 for a one year prescription. Beyond that, the cultivation and use of cannabis remain illegal in the country.
This legislative development comes amidst ongoing debates in the Senate, and the passage of House Bill 10439 marks a pivotal moment in the Philippines’ approach to medical cannabis, positioning the country among a few in Asia, such as South Korea, to legalise its medical use.
If the Senate concurs and the bill becomes law, the Philippines will join an emerging regional trend toward the acceptance of medical cannabis, with Thailand also in the process of regulating both medical and recreational use.
Despite the country’s continued hardline stance on the illicit drug trade, non-profit organisation, ‘Sensible Philippines’, suggests attitudes towards cannabis are beginning to change.
“If done properly, legalisation of cannabis in the Philippines will give patients safe access to cannabis based medicines,” said Kimmi Del Prado of the Sensible Philippines organisation.
“Based on the recent electoral debates and interviews, it looks like the majority of candidates who have won in the latest election are open to cannabis legalisation, particularly for medical purposes.”
The post Landmark Philippine medical cannabis legalisation bill could position country as frontrunner in the region appeared first on Cannabis Health News.
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Author: Business of Cannabis
