The Proposed Medical Cannabis Act: What It’s About

The Philippines may soon join the 24 countries that legalize the use of cannabis as medicine. Here’s what we know so far!

Growing up, many of us saw “weed” or cannabis as something dangerously addictive. People have ruined their lives due to their abuse and the Philippines eventually declared the former as an illegal substance in 2002 under Republic Act 9165. But Science has shone a light on cannabis having a component that helps ease chronic diseases, possibly why the Philippines is now proposing the Medical Cannabis Act! Or, what the public knows as HB 10439.

Here’s what we know so far:

Medical Cannabis Act: Now in the third and final reading

But this isn’t the Philippines’ first attempt to legalize the distribution of cannabis. In 2022, Senator Robin Padilla authored Senate Bill (SB) 230, or the Medical Cannabis Compassionate Access Act of the Philippines. Its purpose is similar; however, the bill reveals a section that tackles in detail the propagation of cannabis here in the Philippines and that the office regulating cannabis will be known as a Medical Cannabis Compassionate Center (MCCC).

House Bill (HB) 10439, or the Medical Cannabis Act, then allows doctors to prescribe cannabis to their patients to treat certain distressing neurological diseases. In doing so, there will also be a Medical Cannabis Office (MCO) to serve as a regulatory body. Currently, the MCO will be under the Department of Health to make sure that cannabis is only used for “health purposes.”

The bill also reveals that hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare institutions will have to acquire a license to dispense cannabis. Besides the license, the doctors of these institutions are only allowed to prescribe enough cannabis that will last for only one (1) year. Patients must also undergo several tests to confirm if they have conditions that require cannabis.

Some of the conditions include:

• Cancer
• Cerebral Palsy
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma – An eye disease that renders people blind due to damage to the optic nerve.
• Multiple Sclerosis

What makes cannabis or weed medical

Cannabis, otherwise known as Weed or Marijuana, has two major components: THC and Cannabidiol (CBD). Studies have shown that Cannabidiol (CBD) is the medical component of marijuana, proving its effectiveness in treating neurological disorders.

Cannabidiol is a natural muscle relaxant that counteracts the spasms and constant muscle flexes in people who have cerebral palsy. Our brain cells happen to be quite receptive to CBD, particularly the ones that handle our movement which explains why it’s an effective treatment (McDonough, Charles, and Shaw, 2024; Seltzer et. al, 2024).

THC is the component that gives people that “high.” However, some studies revealed that there is a way to isolate CBD from THC, getting the medical benefits without the “high” (Martinenghi, Jønsson, Lund & Jenssen, 2020; Madaka, Chankana, Khamthong, Maha, and Songsak, 2021). The extraction process often involves winterization, distillation, and crystallization — in other words, turning CBD into powder.

How legalizing medical weed may become godsend to some families

Legalizing weed or marijuana as a medical treatment in the Philippines may do a lot more good than people believe.

For families who have relatives with cerebral palsy, we’re sure that it’s been quite difficult to care for them (Okurowska-Zawada, Ulak, Wojtkowski, Sienkiewicz, & Paszko-Patej, 2011; Basaran, Karadavut, Uneri, Balbaloglu, and Atasoy, 2013; Soliman, Altwairqi, Alshamrani, Al-Zahrani, Al-Towairqi, & Al-Habashi (2019). Often characterized by their “spasms” or shaking, cerebral palsy patients spill things and have difficulty handling objects because of their uncontrollable shaking.

And the truth is — patients with cerebral palsy hate the disease as much as their families do, loathing the fact they can’t do things themselves and that they have almost no or little control over their bodies (Basaran, Karadavut, Uneri, Balbaloglu, and Atasoy, 2013; Honan, Waight, Bratel, Given, Badawi, McIntyre, Smithers-Sheedy, 2023)

Epilepsy, another brain disease, can also frustrate families. A disease that happens due to bursts of electrical activity in the brain, it eventually inflicts long-term damage. Usual causes involve flashing lights, stressful situations, and certain foods. Marijuana or weed, when given medically, calms the brain down. Epilepsy is often common in children (Torres et. al, 2019).

Some celebrity parents have even used their platforms to make families aware of people with neurological disorders and how it affects their lives. Saab Magalona‘s son, Pancho, currently undergoes therapy to cope with Cerebral Palsy. Momfluencer Jana Berenguer also uses TikTok and Instagram to document the life of her son, Alonzo, who suffers from Extrapyramidial Cerebral Palsy.

Reducing the chances of abuse

However, some have noted the risk of people abusing their prescription of medical cannabis. The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) voiced those concerns, noting that marijuana as a medical treatment needed extensive testing with “strict guidelines” when House Bill (HB) 6517 first came out in 2019. As of February 2024, they remain against marijuana, saying that legalizing it is a form of “policy experiment.”

However, the House clarified that they’re not “delisting” cannabis from the list of illegal drugs. Families will still need to produce official medical records and prescriptions that prove that they were allowed to use Cannabis.

Giving family members with neurological disorders a better quality of life

Because of the varied stories of cannabis use from different families ranging from abuse to therapeutic results, most families are on the fence. While some medical practitioners argue the “do no harm” principle, some families see more harm in depriving their afflicted family member of something that has the potential to drastically improve their quality of life.

But like all medicines, each of them has its side effects. It’s a non-zero chance, however, the benefits often outweigh the risks. Especially if it means giving our family member who’s afflicted with this disorder a better quality of life.

But the “go” signal for any family or doctor to use cannabis as a medical treatment still needs stringent guidelines and talks, especially if the family has a history of drug abuse.

The Medical Cannabis Act currently passed the third reading and is now in the hands of the House of Representatives.

References

Basaran, A., Karadavut, K. I., Uneri, S. O., Balbaloglu, O., & Atasoy, N. (2013). The effect of having a children with cerebral palsy on quality of life, burn-out, depression and anxiety scores: a comparative study. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med, 49(6), 815-22.

Gruber, S. A., Sagar, K. A., Dahlgren, M. K., Olson, D. P., Centorrino, F., & Lukas, S. E. (2012). Marijuana impacts mood in bipolar disorder: a pilot study. Mental Health and Substance Use, 5(3), 228-239.

Honan, I., Waight, E., Bratel, J., Given, F., Badawi, N., McIntyre, S., & Smithers-Sheedy, H. (2023). Emotion regulation is associated with anxiety, depression and stress in adults with cerebral palsy. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(7), 2527.

Madaka, F., Chankana, N., Khamthong, N., Maha, A., & Songsak, T. (2021). Extraction and isolation of high quantities of cannabidiol, cannabinol, and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol from Cannabis sativa L. Malays. J. Anal. Sci, 25, 867-881.

Martinenghi, L. D., Jønsson, R., Lund, T., & Jenssen, H. (2020). Isolation, purification, and antimicrobial characterization of cannabidiolic acid and cannabidiol from Cannabis sativa L. Biomolecules, 10(6), 900.

McDonough, D., Charles, J., & Shaw, T. (2024). The use of medicinal marijuana for treating Cerebral Palsy: a literature review. F1000Research, 13, 825.

Okurowska-Zawada, B., Kułak, W., Wojtkowski, J., Sienkiewicz, D., & Paszko-Patej, G. (2011). Quality of life of parents of children with cerebral palsy. Prog Health Sci, 1(1), 116-123.

Seltzer, R. A., Langner, J. L., Javier, N. M., Kaur, J., Shafau, A. L., Ezeonu, T., Bryson, X., Hastings, K., Tileston, K. & Vorhies, J. S. (2024). Cannabidiol use patterns and efficacy for children who have cerebral palsy. Orthopedics, 47(1), 52-56.

Soliman, R. H., Altwairqi, R. G., Alshamrani, N. A., Al-Zahrani, A. A., Al-Towairqi, R. M., & Al-Habashi, A. H. (2019). Relationship between quality of life of children with cerebral palsy and their mothers’ depression and anxiety. Saudi Journal for Health Sciences, 8(1), 1-5.

Torres, J. A. K. L., Arca-Cabradilla, R., Sy, M. G., Corrales-Joson, M. L. P., Moral-Valencia, M. A., & de Sagun, R. Q. (2019). Burden of Care of Filipino Children with Epilepsy and its Impact on Quality of Life, Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms among Caregivers. Journal of Medicine, University of Santo Tomas, 3(2), 326-335.

Wilson, N., & Cadet, J. L. (2009). Comorbid mood, psychosis, and marijuana abuse disorders: a theoretical review. Journal of addictive diseases, 28(4), 309-319.

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