PDEA to initiate study on medical marijuana

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will initiate a study on medical marijuana amid some “misinformation” on its use.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said the agency will spearhead the study on the use of marijuana for medical purposes in the local context.

Aquino said the study is needed amid talks about its possible legalization in the country. 

“So far I have not seen any research or study in the Philippines. We cannot depend on the study of other countries. In doing so we inform the people. A lot of people are misinformed about medical marijuana,” he said. 

The PDEA chief said some suspects arrested for the selling, possession and use of marijuana have claimed that they use the illegal drug for the treatment and prevention of diseases, which include cancer and even psoriasis. 

The anti-narcotics agency plans to tap the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, the Department of Science and Technology, the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Department of Health (DOH) and other stakeholders in the study.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III has warned government officials and the public to be cautious on the issue of medical marijuana. 

RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and a DDB resolution allowed the use of medical marijuana that covers its active ingredient cannabinoid and not the plant, “under specific circumstances.”