House Bill No.

6517 or the proposed “Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act”

Section 2 of this act states that “the State shall legalize and regulate the medical use of cannabis which
has been confirmed to have beneficial and therapeutic uses to treat chronic or debilitating disease or
medical condition that produces one or more of the following: cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe
and chronic pain; severe nausea; seizures, including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy;
or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those associated with multiple
sclerosis.”

Drug legalization

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/07/22/2197264/padilla-files-bill-pushing-legalization-
medical-marijuana The bill defines medical cannabis as referring only to capsules and oil and not raw
cannabis. It may also only be used for "debilitating medical conditions" which the neophyte senator
defines as:

 cancer

 glaucoma

 multiple sclerosis

 damage to the nervous system of the spinal cord

 epilepsy

 HIV/AIDS

 rheumatoid arthritis or similar chronic autoimmune deficiency

 diseases requiring hospice care

 severe nausea, sleep disorders

 mood disorders

 recurring migraine headaches

 other debilitating medical conditions identified by the Department of Health through the
Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee

A doctor who would violate the provisions of the measure faces the suspension or revocation of his or
her professional license, while the Dangerous Drugs Board and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
shall monitor and regulate medical cannabis under the bill.

The bill also pushes for further research and development into medical cannabis as well as the training
of medical cannabis physicians and pharmacists.

As it currently stands, however, the Food and Drug Administration already grants exemptions for the
compassionate use of marijuana.

But since marijuana is illegal in the Philippines, there are no registered dispensaries or outlets to get
them from.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1167897 In 2019, the House of Representatives approved on third and
final reading House Bill No. 6517 or the proposed “Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act” that
seeks to provide compassionate and right of access to medical cannabis and expand research into its
medicinal properties.

In 2020, Senate agreed that Congress must not lose time and waste efforts to legislate a law that will
make legal the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, marijuana eases the pain of multiple sclerosis and nerve pain.
Patients claim that marijuana allows them to resume their previous activities without feeling completely
out of it and disengaged. It also lessens the tremors in Parkinson’s disease.

https://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=11248 Molie Gonzales -The country is a step

closer to having access to medical cannabis as the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on
third and final reading House Bill No. 6517 or the proposed “Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis
Act” which seeks to provide compassionate and right of access to medical cannabis and expand research
into its medicinal properties.

The bill declares that the State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health
development. In accordance with Section 2 of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous
Drugs Act, as amended, the State shall further achieve balance in the national drug control program for
patients with debilitating medical condition so that they may receive adequate treatment and
appropriate medications from the regulated use of dangerous drugs.

However, prior to its distribution, the FDA shall test all medical cannabis to determine its potency,
consistency, and effective use. The agency shall also ensure that they are organic pesticide-free, gluten-
free, and safe for use.

The bill prohibits qualified patients to possess or smoke cannabis and to utilize it for purposes other
than for treatment of debilitating diseases. Moreover, patients who are under the influence of cannabis
shall be forbidden from operating or navigating any vehicle and undertaking tasks that would require
the use of body or motor functions impaired by its use.

Upon conviction and final judgment, violators of the bill or its implementing rules and regulations,
including medical cannabis patient caregivers and MCCCs, shall be penalized with a fine of P500,000 to
P10 million at the discretion of the Court.

The penalty carries with it the suspension or revocation of the professional license or registration of the
persons held as offenders. In addition, a penalty of life imprisonment shall be imposed on particular
violations provided for in the measure.

The bill stipulates that the DOH shall authorize the University of the Philippines National Institute of
Health, the Health Sciences Center of the UP System, and the Philippine Institute of Traditional and
Alternative Health Care to conduct research on the medical use of cannabis.
The DOH shall submit an annual report to the Office of the President and to both Houses of Congress
which shall include basic information on the use of cannabis in the country.

*Data does not include reports from law enforcement agencies. Dangerous drugs board..
https://www.ddb.gov.ph/research-statistics/statistics
PROFILE OF DRUG ABUSERS

(Facility Based)

CY (Container Yards Customs Zone, otherwise known as Authorized Customs Facility) 2021

• AGE : Mean age of 33 years; Median of 33 years

• SEX : Ratio of Male to Female 10:1

• CIVIL STATUS : Single (53.03%)

• STATUS OF EMPLOYMENT : Employed (62.30%) (Worker/Employees, Businessman and Self-Employed)

• EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT : High School Level (27.33%)

• ECONOMIC STATUS : Average Family Income Php 15,142.03

• PLACE OF RESIDENCE : Urban Core (Specifically NCR 20.13%)

• DURATION OF DRUG USE : More than six (6) years

• NATURE OF DRUG TAKING : Mono drug use (abuse of 1 drug only)

• DRUGS/SUBSTANCES OF ABUSE :

Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu)

Cannabis (Marijuana)

Benzodiazepines (Depressant)

Dangerous drugs board 2021 yearly report

PROFILE OF DRUG ABUSERS
(Facility Based)

CY 2020

• AGE : Mean age of 33 years; Median of 33 years

• SEX : Ratio of Male to Female 7:1

• CIVIL STATUS : Single (50.73%)

• STATUS OF EMPLOYMENT : Employed (62.68%)

• EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT : High School Level (27.25%)

• ECONOMIC STATUS : Average Family Income Php 15,442.94

• PLACE OF RESIDENCE : Urban (Specifically NCR 21.34%)

• DURATION OF DRUG USE : More than six (6) years

• NATURE OF DRUG TAKING : Mono drug use (abuse of 1 drug only)

• DRUGS/SUBSTANCES OF ABUSE :

Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu)

Cannabis (Marijuana)

Codeine Phosphate (Robitussin)

dda 2020 yearly report

Illegal drugs and their ill-effects

By Juzel Danganan December 1, 2017, 7:28 pm

Share

MANILA -- What's with drugs that make the world so deeply concerned about people using them? In the
Philippines alone, an estimated four to seven million of its 104 million population are said to be using
prohibited drugs.

As a campaign promise, President Rodrigo Duterte has made the crackdown on illegal drugs a
centerpiece of his administration -- for which he has been chastised from all fronts, in and out of the
country.

Drug addiction, no doubt, has severely affected society, cutting across all socio-economic echelons and
demographics. No one can deny that drug addiction is a societal menace, resulting in countless crimes,
financial problems, and broken relationships, both with families and friends.

Here’s a glimpse of what the common prohibited drugs are and how they affect the body and mind.

According to a primer of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) posted on its website,
drugs are chemical substances that affect the normal functioning of the body, either physically and/or
psychologically.

Not all drugs are illegal, it says. The caffeine in coffee, the nicotine in cigarettes, and alcohol are
technically legal drugs. Medicines are pharmaceutical drugs used to treat or prevent illnesses. They are
legal, although they could also be abused.
The ones people should totally shun are the illegal drugs because they alter a person’s mood, thinking,
and behavior.

All illegal drugs have immediate physical effects, and they also hinder psychological and emotional
development, especially among young people, says the UNODC.

Drugs cloud a user’s judgment, making him/her take more risks, for instance having unsafe sex that
could lead one to contract sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

The effects of illegal drugs do not last long. When they wear off, a user gets depressed, lonely and sick,
appears confused, sweats a lot, has red eyes, and neglects his/her physical appearance. Then comes the
irrational craving.

The following are the most common prohibited drugs and how they affect their users:

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine, a.k.a. Shabu, also goes by the names Crack meth, Ice, Crystal meth, Tik, and Yaba.

Methamphetamine belongs to a group of drugs called amphetamine-type stimulants. Like ecstasy, it is

manufactured in illegal laboratories and sold in powder, tablet or crystal form. It could be swallowed,
sniffed, smoked or injected.

The UNODC says meth produces a feeling of physical and mental wellbeing, euphoria, and exhilaration.
Users experience a temporary boost in energy, often perceived to improve their performance of manual
or mental tasks, along with delayed hunger and fatigue. At times, they become more aggressive and
violent.

Over the short term, users tend to lose their appetite, start to breathe faster, and sweat due to
increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.

Taking in large doses would make users feel restless and irritable and could induce panic attacks. Taking
in excessive doses could result in convulsions, seizures, and death from respiratory failure, stroke or
heart failure.
Long-term use could also lead to malnutrition, weight loss, and psychological dependence.

Stopping its use results in a long period of sleep, followed by depression.

Ecstasy

Ecstasy goes around by the names E, Snackies and New Yorkers. The drug, usually made in illegal
laboratories, consists of a range of substances that make it dangerous to consume. It comes in the form
of tablet, powder or capsule and is usually swallowed, but could also be snorted or injected.

Ecstasy increases users’ empathy levels and induces a feeling of closeness to people around them. It
makes them feel more sociable and energetic. Short-term use of ecstasy prompts the body to ignore
distress signals such as dehydration, dizziness, and exhaustion, and interferes with the body's ability to
regulate temperature. It could also severely damage the liver and kidneys and could cause convulsions
and heart failure.

In large doses, ecstasy could cause restlessness, anxiety and severe hallucinations. Long-term use
damages certain parts of the brain, bringing about serious depression and memory loss.

Cannabis

Cannabis is known by many names -- Bongo, Ganja, Grass, Pot or Thai sticks. Its most famous name,
however, is Marijuana, or Mary Jane.

Cannabis, a tobacco-like greenish or brownish substance made of dried flowering tops and leaves of the
cannabis plant, is usually smoked, but its resin and oil could also be swallowed or brewed in tea.

According to the UNODC, cannabis smoke contains 50 percent more tar than high-tar cigarettes, putting
users at an increased risk of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

After taking cannabis, users feel relaxed and sometimes euphoric, with an intensified sense of sight,
smell, taste, and hearing.
Short-term use makes them experience increased appetite and pulse rate, and an impaired ability to
perform physical and mental tasks, such as driving a car and thinking logically.

With large doses, users’ thinking slows down and they become confused and have bouts of anxiety,
panic, and psychotic episodes.

The UNODC said that regular users of cannabis run the risk of developing psychological dependence to
the point that they lose interest in all other activities, such as work and personal relationships.

Cocaine

Cocaine is known as Crack, Bazooka, Blanche, Cake, Coke or Lady. It is a fine white or off-white powder
extracted from the leaves of the coca plant.

The UNODC said that on the street, cocaine is diluted with other substances, such as ammonia or
sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), to increase its quantity and produce crack.

Cocaine is usually sniffed or injected, while crack is usually smoked. After snorting cocaine, users feel
exhilarated and euphoric, leading to increased energy levels and alertness, along with delayed hunger
and fatigue.

Short-term use results in loss of appetite, faster breathing, increased body temperature and heart rate.
Users may act strangely, erratically and at times violently.

Ingesting large doses of cocaine could cause convulsions, seizures, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage or heart
failure. Long-term use of cocaine damages the nose tissue and leads to respiratory problems, abscesses,
and infectious diseases.

Other risks include strong psychological dependence, malnutrition, weight loss, disorientation, apathy
and a state similar to paranoid psychosis. Mixing cocaine with alcohol is dangerous and could lead to
sudden death.

Heroin
Heroin is also called Smack, H, Horse, Junk, Harry and White Lady. Heroin is a painkiller processed from
morphine, which comes from the opium poppy plant.

Pure heroin is a white powder, but street heroin is brownish white. This highly addictive drug is usually
injected, but could also be snorted, smoked or inhaled.

Heroin could relieve tension, anxiety, and depression, including physical distress or pain.

According to the UNODC, its short-term effects include constricted pupils, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness,
inability to concentrate and apathy.

Long-term effects, meanwhile, include severe weight loss, malnutrition, constipation, menstrual
irregularity, sedation and chronic apathy. Users could develop a tolerance for the drug, making them
ingest more to achieve the effect they want.

Overdosing on heroin could lead to coma and death through respiratory depression. Abruptly quitting
heroin leads to severe withdrawal symptoms, such as cramps, diarrhea, tremors, panic, runny nose,
chills, and sweats.

LSD

Also known as Acid or Hippie, LSD is a semi-synthetic drug made from lysergic acid, which is found in a
fungus that grows on rye and other grains.

Dealers often sell it in squares of blotting paper with drops containing the drug, but also in the form of
tablets, capsules, and liquid. The colorless and odorless drug is often swallowed and has a slightly bitter
taste.

According to the UNODC, LSD use leads to strong changes in thought, mood, and senses, along with
feelings of empathy and sociability. Its exact effects, however, vary, depending on the mental state of
the user and the environment when taking the drug.

Over the short term, users experience delusions and distorted perceptions in terms of time and color,
severe and terrifying thoughts and feelings, such as fear of losing control, insanity, death, and
despair. Users manifest dilated pupils, increased heart rate and blood pressure, dry mouth and tremors.
They lack appetite and are sleepless. (PNA)