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m st.d aydesk@ gma i l.com

Cannabis Devt Aqthority body proposed

By lUlaricel V. Cruz is expected to benefit not only ailing Fili-
pinos if need of the revolutionary treat-
A LAIVMAKER has proposed the establishment of a state ment offered by the drug but also the gov-
ernment in terms of export revenues that
A agency that will oversee the development of what could be can be tapped from its potential $57-bil-
L I'a legitimate m-ultibillion-dollar export industry producing lion market.
medical cannabis from the strain of this plant that is not addictive "Medical cannabis is now legal and used
and does not produce the so-calle dbtn or "high" for users. for health, scientific and research reasons in
60 countries across the globe," he said.
Dept+fy rbpeaker and Camarines Str drugs and narco-trafficking. IIB 3961, Villafuerte made it clear that
Rep l-rufu R$ymund Villafuerte said his "Ottlercounfries withzerotolerancefor medical cannabis refers to cannabidiol or
proposal "should not be deemed in any dnrg tafficking like China and Singapore CBD, the non-addictive, non:intoxicating
nrqqer -tq,advocate, promote, authorize. are either alrcady producing medical can- sfiain of the cannabis (marijuana) plant,
legaljze the. 'recreationaln . and/or non- nabis or considering the tegalization of the which is different from tetrahydroiannabi-
ng{ignl. use of the cannabis plants," as dnrg for medicinal purposesn" Villafuerte nol, which is classified in the Philippines
re,.qgiferated his full sgpport for President said as he filed House Bill 3961. as illegal as it delivers the euphoric "high"
R$ip,,I)uterte's all,out war on illicit Once enacted, Villafuerte said his bitl leading to addiction.
HB 3961 noted that the US Food and
Dnrg A{minisration has already approved
ttre first and only prescription medicine
using 100 percent CBD called Epidiolex,
which is used to ffeat seizures.
. Also, international experts have cited the
medicinal qualities of the cannabis plant,
including US Surgeon General Vivek Mur-
thy who said in a recent CBS TV interview
in the US that it "may be useful for certain
medical conditions". ' grade.
Villafuerte noted in the bill that the Wbrld
Health Organization itself has published a
report confirming that cannabidiol or CBD
"exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse
or dependence potential .... there is no evi-
dence of public health-related problems as-
sociated with the use ofpure CBD."
CBD is legal in 3l srates of the United
States and in 59 other counhies, while THC
is illegal in almost every part of the world
Mllafuerte noted.
He said'the establishment of his pro.
posed Philippine Carurabis Developpent
Authority will ensure that all medical*iun-
nabis products from the farm all the way to
the finished products are of pharmaceutical
A special panel of technical experts
will also be set up under thp bill to moni-
tor cannabis farms, the processirg or
manufacture of cannabis products and its
use that may be authorized by PhilCADA,
Villafuerte said.
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