Understanding Medical Marijuana: Laws, Uses, Safety

Marijuana is a concoction of the dried flowers of cannabis-sativa. Different names to portray marijuana are; herb, pot, bhang, weed, grass, cannabis, ganja, bud, hemp, Mary Jane, and opium. Marijuana is a medication that changes attitude and the impression of everything perceived by the brain. The primary ingredient utilized in cannabis for diverting personality is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). In any case, there are many different synthetic concoctions found in the plant. As a matter of fact, it is the amount of THC in marijuana that decides the extent it will impact human personality.

It is relevant to mention that drug war is expensive and costly being battled in the country requiring immense measure of assets. The ones primarily involved in this war incorporates; clients purchasing illegal drugs, government, those housed in prisons due to selling or utilizing marijuana, and black marketers. One survey implies that marijuana users in the Philippines comprise around 75% of the total Philippine population as of 2017 between ages 10 to 69 years old.

However, this is not so much of a valid reason to legalize marijuana. In our point of view, we claim that marijuana should not be legalized in the Philippines. It is a psychedelic drug and such should not be allowed to become a legal drug. So many people today are illegally using marijuana. Marijuana users are even present in highschool students stating that amphetamines are the easiest drugs that they could acquire. Marijuana also has more negative effects rather than health benefits. Research conducted on the effects of marijuana shows that a user of marijuana is more exposed to illnesses. Continuous using of marijuana leads to destruction of the lungs. This would lead to in respiratory problems as users continue to ingest the drug. These unsafe impacts to health infer that marijuana should not be authorized as it would be just the same as tobacco and alcohol. Aside from physiological threats, there are also mental side-effects of using the drug. Using marijuana increases sexual urge and triggers hallucination which may lead to accidents. Users suffer subtle feelings of uneasiness and obsessed thoughts.

Other negative side effects include anger, depression, and anxiety. They have greater chances to use other lethal drugs like LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and heroin. On January 29, 2019, the House of Representatives approved House Bill 6517, or the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act on its final reading. This bill favours the legalization of marijuana with the general objective of making it progressively open for Filipinos. In addition, for the medical students, topic lectures on medical cannabis will be comprised in universities’ course curriculum. The bill envisions alliance between different departments such as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration, and other institutions. However, several medical groups combat the proposal, affirming that it would only bring many potential danger to the lives of Filipino citizens. Senator Grace Poe stated that marijuana is prone to abuse. Additionally, the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila also disfavours the legalization and provided arguments against marijuana use. According to UP Manila, there is not enough evidences proving marijuana’s capability to treat diseases and its negative health threats have been documented. Although they recognize studies that show medical marijuana’s positive effects on some illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, chronic pain in adults, and epilepsy, the institution stated, however, that the these evidences are still inadequate to conform drug regulatory approval requirements. Also, studies have shown that in other countries, marijuana legalization resulted in higher rates of dependence.

One survey study in the US showed that citizens of states with medical marijuana law had higher chances of marijuana usage and marijuana abuse/dependence. Prof. Miguel Enrico Ayson, a political science professor from UP Los BaГ±os, voiced out his concern over its implementation. ‘The event that marijuana will be diverted and used for recreational purposes is plausible due to the persistent weaknesses in policy implementation in the Philippines, ‘ he said. Also, prof. Ayson proposed that further studies to evaluate both risks and benefits are needed to reach a settlement. He pointed out as well that politicians may use this policy to boost their political leverage. In the case of our country, it wouldn’t be completely surprising if this were to happen. Marijuana is not just a simple drug. Inappropriate use of it may lead to life-long complications. We must think about it thoroughly and express our concerns regarding this issue. Although, there are some advantages of legalizing marijuana in the country, the harms and dangers of legalization set on medical evidence concerning physiological health and psychological problems needs to be considered, and therefore, we firmly recommended that marijuana should not be legalized in our country.