For the first time in the 19th Congress under the Marcos administration, a House panel took up a bill seeking to decriminalize the production, sale, and use of cannabis in the Philippines.
The lower chamber’s dangerous drugs committee, chaired by Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte’s 2nd District, moved to form a technical working group (TWG) with the health committee to flesh out the bill filed by former House Speaker and current Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez.
“If the government allows harmful products like alcoholic beverages, cancer-causing cigarettes, and diabetes-bringing sugary drinks, why can’t we decriminalize the production and sale of a substance that is less harmful, has many benefits and can be a source of government revenue?” Alvarez said.
The former House leader also argued that legalizing marijuana in the Philippines would generate wealth that the government could use for its programs and projects.
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