By Rizal Obanil

Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Catalino Cuy clarified on Monday that it is the “compassionate use” of marijuana that was legalized and marijuana use for recreational purposes is still illegal in the country.

DDB Chairman Catalino Cuy
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

“Compassionate use, ‘yun ‘yung pinapayagan natin na gumamit ng certain prohibited drugs, ‘yung mga pasyente na, halimbawa, may terminal cancer,” Cuy said in an interview Monday over Dobol B sa News TV.

Furthermore, he explained that the use of cannabidiol (CBD) tablet Epidiolex was allowed after government reclassified the drug.

“Epidiolex is a prescription medicine that is used to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome of Dravet syndrome in patients 2 years of age and older,” according to https://www.epidiolex.com.

Certain groups have been lobbying for the legalization of marijuana use for medicinal purposes, however, they have often gotten strong opposition from those who believe that legalizing it would open the gates for certain unscrupulous groups to exploit that would further promote addiction to marijuana.

Last August, Isabela 1st District Representative Antonio “Tonypet” Albano held a meeting with advocates of medical marijuana to discuss House Bill (H.B.) No. 2790 otherwise known as an “Act providing right of access to medical cannabis as a compassionate alternative means of medical treatment, expanding research into its medicinal properties and for other proposes.”

Albano, during the 18th Congress aimed to continue fighting for his brother Rep. Rodito Albano’s advocacy during the 17th Congress.
“The measure reached third and final reading in the House in the previous Congress. However, President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration in March 2019 that he won’t approve the legalization of marijuana effectively killed it,” an August 5, 2019 report for Manila Bulletin online read.

Cuy said that a special physician can issue what they call a “yellow prescription” for certain individuals who are included in the DDB and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) list of those who are allowed to use such a drug.