Saint Mary’s University

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
1
English for Academic and Professional Purposes 1

GROUP 1 OF SAINT JOHN LEONARDI’S POSITION PAPER

ON THE LEGALIZATION OF MEDICINAL
MARIJUANA (Cannabis sativa) USAGE
IN THE PHILIPPINES

December 7, 2020 – Group 1 from St. John Leonardi, respectfully and humbly defer this
position paper with regards to the legalization of the use of Cannabis sativa, popularly known as
marijuana, for medicinal purposes in the Philippines.

Marijuana is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant. It is also called weed, herb, pot,
grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, and a vast number of slang terms- is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried
leaves and flowers of Cannabis Sativa used primarily for medical or recreational purposes. The main
psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical in marijuana, responsible for the intoxicating effects that
people seek is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The plant also contains more than 500 other
chemicals, including more than 100 compounds that are chemically related to THC, called
cannabinoids which are used as medicines in curing certain diseases.

On the contrary, the Philippine Government has long prohibited the use of marijuana under the
Republic Act No. 6425, otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972. This law aims to
safeguard the integrity of the country's territory and the well-being of its citizens particularly the
youth, from the harmful effects of dangerous drugs on their physical and mental well-being, and to
defend the same against acts or omissions detrimental to their development and preservation.

However, amid ethical and legal restrictions, the demand to liberalize this ban has increased in
recent years. The proponents believe and withstand that the use of medicinal marijuana should be
legalized in the country, especially it poses certain benefits for the citizenry of the country in terms of
medicinal effectiveness, financial expenditure reduction on medicines, and as well as providing legal
job opportunities.

The potential medicinal properties of marijuana and its components have been under the
limelight of debates and a subject of research for decades. THC or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol itself
has proven medical benefits in particular formulations. As a matter of fact, according to the article
published by WebMD in 2020, research suggests cannabinoids poses the potential to reduce anxiety,
reduce inflammation and relieve pain, control nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy,
kill cancer cells and slow tumor growth, relax tight muscles in people with multiple sclerosis (MS),
and stimulate appetite and improve weight gain in people with cancer and AIDS. In fact, the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved THC based medications, prescribed in pill form for the
treatment of nausea in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy and to stimulate appetite in patients
with wasting syndrome due to AIDS. The US FDA also approved a cannabinol (CBD) based liquid
medication called Epidiolex for the treatment of two forms of severe childhood epilepsy, Dravet
syndrome, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. It is being delivered to patients in a reliable dosage form

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 Saint Mary’s University
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
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and through a reproducible route of delivery to ensure that patients derive the anticipated benefits.

Moreover, with the legalization of marijuana, the financial expenditure of consumers for
different medicinal drugs could be reduced. Considering that marijuana contains multiple potential
chemical compounds, like – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN), cannabinoid,
cannabichromene, etc. which can cure diseases. In point of fact, according to NPR (2016), research
published found that states that legalized medical marijuana, which is sometimes recommended for
symptoms like chronic pain, anxiety, or depression, saw declines in the number of Medicare
prescriptions for drugs used to treat those conditions and a dip in spending by Medicare Part D, which
covers the cost on prescription medications. Medical marijuana saved Medicare about $165 million in
2013, the researchers concluded. Think about how much spending will decrease if the country will
make the entire state legalized the use of marijuana. They estimated that, if medical marijuana were
available nationwide, Medicare Part D spending would have declined in the same year by about $470
million. Therefore, if marijuana is legalized in the Philippines, it would not only help in medical uses
but also the expenses that are spent on drugs.

Furthermore, considering the low employment rate in the Philippine context, when the use of
medicinal marijuana is legalized, it can provide more legal job opportunities to the people. To
concretize, an article published by Alison Doyle in 2019, indicates that various jobs are developing in
the regulated cannabis industry. According to analysts, weed is a big industry, worth over $10 billion
in 2018 and responsible for generating over 250,000 jobs. In addition, Beau Whitney, vice president,
and senior economist at New Frontier Data, a cannabis market research firm, told NBC News that the
legal marijuana industry possibly tops $16 billion in 2019. Marijuana-related job board websites show
a vast number of available jobs supporting the growth and sale of legal marijuana, such as - budtender,
edible maker, harvester/ farmers, etc.

On the other hand, even though marijuana poses high potential benefits in the field of medicine
for curing certain diseases, financial expenditure reduction, and provide job opportunities, on the
contrary, its capability might be misused for self-satisfaction or drug addiction; not everyone has the
financial capacity to afford the drug, and there's a possibility that cannabis industry might evolve
beyond medical use. To support this, research conducted by Dr. Samuel T. Wilkinson (2013) states
that potential problems with the approval, production, dispensation, route of administration, and
negative health effects of medical and recreational marijuana may occur. Although the use of
marijuana is still illegal in the Philippines, lots of people are still arrested for possessing and using
recreational marijuana. The tendency of marijuana being legalized is that people will have the freedom
to access the use of marijuana, and would also cause a problem within the country if it's abuse.

Nevertheless, proper, strict, and comprehensive guidelines provided by the government on the
prescription of the drug must be carefully monitored by the authorities. Aligned with this, the
government must also allocate enough funds to support and provide equal access for people to
medicinal marijuana. Lastly, strict regulatory frameworks to regulate the cultivation, selling, and use
of marijuana should be established, implemented, regulated, and evaluated by the national and local

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
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governments while advancing the public health goals of preventing access by minors, protecting and
educating consumers of legalized marijuana and protecting third parties from unwanted effects of
legalized use of marijuana, and people who are caught with illegal possession and use of marijuana
must be sanctioned to imprisonment. With such courses of action, the use of medicinal cannabis
would be outranged from problems or negative health effects. This was proven in the research
conducted by Dr. Anne Katrin Schlag last January 2020, whereas, the research shows how successful
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Israel, and Australia in the regulatory regime in providing
patient access to medicinal marijuana.

Thus, the proponents strongly believe that marijuana for medicinal use should be legalized in
the Philippines for it is effective in curing diseases, reduces financial expenditure for medicines, and
opens job opportunities for the people. Whereas, the government must carefully deliberate on the
liberalization of the medicinal use of marijuana with proper, strict, and comprehensive guidelines
which must be carefully monitored by government delegates to prevent improper use of medicinal
marijuana, financial incapacity to afford the drug, and the possibility for the cannabis industry to
operate beyond medical use.

Prior to this, the stand, then, can be accepted for the reason that the proponents have provided
truthful arguments from the discussed grounds in supporting the legalization of medical marijuana in
the country, and able to present a course of action to the problems that may occur thereafter. More so,
an article published by Mercy Wellness of Cotati expounds and supports this claim.

Marijuana can be viewed as a dangerous drug but knowing its entirety, it is beneficial to the
people and the country. The legalization of medicinal marijuana has great potential advantages,
however, it depends on the hands of the nation's citizens, whether they use it properly with
precautionary measures or abuse the use of it.

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
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References
Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act 2002 (Republic Act 9165). (2001, July 23). Retrieved from
Wipo.Int: https://www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/ph/ph136en.pdf
Doyle, A. (2019, November 20). 10 Jobs in the Legal Marijuana Industry. Retrieved from
thebalancecareer.com: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/legal-marijuana-industry-jobs-
2059646
Dr. Joseph Rosado, M. M. (2019, January 30). Medical Marijuana Laws in the Philippines. Retrieved
from Marijuana Doctors: https://www.marijuanadoctors.com/international-
patients/philippines-laws/
Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, D. M. (2020, August 20). How Medical Marijuana Works, and Which
Conditions It Treats. Retrieved from WebMD.com: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-
guides/medical-marijuana-faq
Schlag, D. A. (2020, January 15). An Evaluation of Regulatory Regimes of Medical Cannabis: What
Lessons Can Be Learned for the UK? Retrieved from Karger.com:
https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/505028
WHY MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGAL EVERYWHERE. (n.d.). Retrieved from Mercy Wellness of
Cotati: https://mercywellness.com/why-marijuana-should-be-legal-everywhere/

After medical marijuana legalized, Medicare prescriptions drop for many drugs. (2016, July 6).
NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/06/484977159/after-medical-
marijuana-legalized-medicare-prescriptions-drop-for-many-drugs
More reasons states should not legalize marijuana: Medical and recreational marijuana:
Commentary and review of the literature. (2013, November). PubMed Central (PMC).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6179811/

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
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The Proponents:

Rhodny Edison E. Aggasid billyvega0303@gmail.com

Student Althea Frances C. Abuan
#48 Mangabat Street, Bonfal Proper, Student
Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya Purok 3, Tagaran, Cauayan City, Isabela
0966-349-0551 0945-372-4492
aggasidrhodnyedison@gmail.com abuanaltheaafrances@gmail.com

Zherville Jay A. Baal Marz Cylene C. De Jesus

Student Student
Purok 1, Bonfal Proper, Bayombong, 644 Farm School Street, Brgy. 01, Jones
Nueva Vizcaya 0917-890-4012 Isabela
baalzhervillejay@gmail.com 0936-221-1483
dejesusharckie@gmail.com

Adrian Lloyd D. Colcol Charity Faith C. Lopez

Student Student Umaguing Street,
283 Saranay, Lantap, Bagabag, Nueva La Torre South, Bayombong, Nueva
Vizcaya Vizcaya 0997-288-
0953-233-2875 1241
Andrei28shin00@gmail.com Heyitsmecha_052@gmail.com

Mark Jaylord B. Rivera

Student Micah Faith B. Pestano
Model Street, Brgy. Malasin, Dupax del Student
Norte, Nueva Vizcaya Andres Bonifacio, Diffun, Quirino
0967-966-2888 0995-648-4615
riveramarkjaylord@gmail.com micahfaithp@gmail.com

Billy Joshua A. Vega

Student
34 Espino Street, Brgy. Quirino,
Solano, Nueva Vizcaya
0926-275-9440

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