Philippine Lawmakers Once Again Pass Bill Legalizing Medical Marijuana Use As Treatment For Various Conditions
The Philippines House of Representatives voted Tuesday in favor of the medical marijuana bill, House Bill 10439. Under the measure that passed in a 177-9-9 vote, medical marijuana will be legal to use as a treatment for various health conditions.
The bill also proposes the establishment of the Medical Cannabis Office (MCO), under the Department of Health (DOH), which will be in charge of regulating the program. Among other functions, MCO will provide authorizations to licensed physicians to issue medical marijuana prescriptions upon prior and mandatory clearance from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) that the physician is not included in the agency’s dangerous drugs watch list.