Worries raised by Senators Robinhood Padilla and Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito that cannabis, intended for compassionate medicine use, would be used as a recreational drug were brushed aside during a presentation of an “Israel model” at the third hearing of the Committee on Health and Demography on the proposed Medical Cannabis Compassionate Access Act on Thursday.
Padilla, who chairs the subcommittee, stressed that he and Ejercito are pushing for legalizing the compassionate use of medical cannabis and not for recreational use.
Mr. Ricardo Penson, president and CEO of Penson and Company Inc., made a presentation that sparked Ejercito’s interest that the product has a barcode to regulate the use of medical cannabis and monitor its usage by patients in Israel.
In a statement after the hearing, Ejercito said he is interested in hearing the guidelines of the different government agencies on the use of cannabis as an alternative medical treatment.
“I would like to reiterate that we are for medical use and compassionate use and not for recreational use. If this will help or lessen the illness or sickness…as I related my story previously, I have an epileptic relative and every time he was given cannabis, he does not experience seizures,” Ejercito said.
Barcode
“Pag-surrender ng package, tsaka lang nila ite-terminate ’yung barcode na ’yon na consumed na,” Penson said. He explained that the barcode can even tell the pharmacy on the origin of the product and who issued the prescription.
Penson, together with Padilla, conducted a study tour in facilities, which produce pharmaceutical grade cannabis in Israel in May.
Padilla also attended a series of conferences there on the compassionate use of medical cannabis and how to apply Israel’s experience in the Philippines.
Cost
Penson said that for 10 grams of medical cannabis the price is at $35 (P1,925). For a year the estimated cost for patients would be $20,000 to $30,000 or P1.1million to P1.65 million
In Israel, he said, there are 120,000 licensed patients using medical cannabis.
Support
Padilla, who filed Senate Bill 230 last year, allowing the medical use of cannabis, also asked the support of stakeholders and the resource persons “once this reaches the plenary.”
“Today, I will ask for your open mind to give comments and opinions, especially on the possibility of having medicalization of cannabis like in Israel,” Padilla said in Filipino.
Thursday’s hearing was also attended by officials and representatives from the Department of Health, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Food and Drug Administration, Dangerous Drugs Board, Cannahopefuls Inc., Philippine Society of Cannabinoid Medicine, and MASIKHAY Research.
In pushing for legalizing the compassionate use of medical cannabis, Padilla noted last year that many Filipinos, including children, continue to suffer from the effects of medical conditions, such as seizure disorders and epilepsy, which may be addressed by medical cannabis.
Medical cannabis, it was learned, is prescribed in Israel for the following conditions:
- Oncology
- Gastroenterology
- Chronic pain
- Infectious disease
- Neurology
- Palliative Care
- Psychiatry (post-traumatic stress disorder)
- Autism
- Dementia
In filling the bill, Padilla, said, there are many potential economic benefits from the non-psychoactive parts of plants from the marijuana species for making more than 25,000 items such as paper for bank notes, rope, cloth and even biofuel, laundry detergent, automobile construction parts, beauty products, hemp protein powders, hemp milk, hemp coffee and milk, particle board biodegradable plastic, paint and insulation.