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House revives talks to decriminalize cannabis use in the Philippines

Published

2 years ago

February 23, 2023

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Former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who used profanity to describe the classification of cannabis as a dangerous drug, argues that its legalization would generate revenues for the government

A House panel for the first time in the 19th Congress under the Marcos administration 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.

In his speech, Alvarez used colorful language to describe the current state of cannabis in the country.

“The classification of cannabis and its derivatives, as a dangerous drug, is bullsh*t. It makes no sense at all. And we must correct this absurdity,” he said on Tuesday, February 21.

“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 can use for its programs and projects.

“We can decriminalize cannabis and its derivatives, and we can collect billions worth of taxes from its production and sale. We can use the added revenues to build more roads and bridges, more classrooms and hospitals, and more public service in pursuit of the common good. We can also use the extra taxes collected to help our country pay for our deep debt brought on by the economic crisis during the pandemic,” Alvarez said.

What the bill says

Republic Act No. 9165, also known as the amended Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, lists cannabis as a dangerous drug and substance.

Individuals convicted of cultivating marijuana, and possessing 10 grams of marijuana resin or marijuana resin oil, as well as 500 grams or more of marijuana, face a fine of up to P10 million and life imprisonment.

Alvarez’s proposal, House Bill No. 6783, seeks to exclude cannabis, cannabis resin and extracts, and tinctures of cannabis from the list.

Batanes Representative Ciriaco Gato expressed concern that the delisting of cannabis would pave the way for the recreational use of marijuana.

“I am thinking that while alcohol and tobacco are really bad, marijuana is also bad. As to which is more harmful, I think it depends on the amount,” Gato said, arguing that a variety of cannabis has negative effects. “Marijuana just like alcohol has some effects from a medical and social standpoint.”

Outlook

The proposal is in its early stages, and it is not among the priority bills of the Marcos administration.

The dangerous drugs committee also seeks to conduct further review on the subject.

“I would like to listen first to the opinions of all the members, and opinions of the experts,” Barbers told Rappler when asked whether he would back the measure and eventually defend it at the House plenary.

“A lot of discussions will have to be made because if the proponent’s intention is to delist it, there must be some basis as to why he wants to delist it,” he said. “Before we pursue the idea of making it available for sale, it has to be delisted [from the list of dangerous drugs].”

Aside from the bill filed by Alvarez, there are also multiple bills referred to the health committee seeking to legalize medical marijuana.

That panel has yet to take up such measures, chairman Gato told Rappler, but he said he is in favor of medical, regulated marijuana.

The House, led by then-Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the 17th Congress, already approved a bill seeking to legalize medical marijuana, but the proposal languished in the Senate. The lower chamber in the 18th Congress, however, failed to move past the TWG level. – Rappler.com

Source:

https://www.rappler.com/nation/house-panel-bill-revives-talks-decriminalize-marijuana-use-philippines/

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Press Release: Health Canada releases new data on cannabis use in Canada – “18% of people who had used cannabis in the past 12 months reported driving after cannabis use, a significant decline from 27% in 2018.”

Published

1 week ago

December 15, 2024

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The 2024 Canadian Cannabis Survey provides important insights into Canadians’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours on cannabis use

December 6, 2024 | Ottawa, Ontario | Health Canada

An important part of the Government of Canada’s public health approach to legalizing and strictly regulating cannabis is ongoing and comprehensive surveillance, data collection and evidence gathering. The results from the annual Canadian Cannabis Survey provide a snapshot of public health and public safety data on cannabis in Canada.

Today, Health Canda published the 2024 Canadian Cannabis Survey (CCS) results. The data was collected from April 4^th to July 2^nd, 2024.

Since 2017, Health Canada has conducted the annual Canadian Cannabis Survey to better understand attitudes and knowledge regarding cannabis, as well as patterns of cannabis use in Canada. Through the information gathered, Health Canada can better understand where support is needed the most and develop program initiatives that will help educate and raise awareness around the use of cannabis.

Findings from the 2024 survey include:

The proportion of people in Canada who report smoking cannabis continues to decline. That said, smoking remains the most common method of consuming cannabis (69%), followed by eating (57%) and vaporizing with a vape pen or e-cigarette (37%).
The number of respondents who reported getting cannabis from a legal source in 2024 was 72% – an increase from 37% in 2019 to 72% in 2024, with legal storefronts being the most common source since 2019. A smaller proportion reported accessing cannabis through illegal sources (3%) compared to 2019 (16%).
18% of people who had used cannabis in the past 12 months reported driving after cannabis use, a significant decline from 27% in 2018.
There was no change in rates of cannabis use among youth (age 16-19) over the past year. Past 12-month cannabis use among youth aged 16-19 was 41%, similar to several previous years (44%, 44%, and 43% in 2019, 2020 and 2023 respectively).
Overall, the proportion of respondents who said they used cannabis and reported daily, or almost daily use has been stable since 2018 (approx. 25%), including among youth (approx. 20%).
The percentage of people in Canada who said they use cannabis who are ‘at high risk’ of developing problems from cannabis use has remained stable since 2018 (approx. 3%).

Health Canada has made significant investments to educate youth and young adults about the health risks of cannabis, as they are at an increased risk of experiencing adverse effects from cannabis use since the brain continues to develop up until around the age of 25. These efforts include the Spring 2022 Reduce your risk: Choose legal cannabis public education campaign, the Prevention of Accidental Paediatric Cannabis Poisonings among Children campaign in Spring 2023, and the Pursue Your Passion: A Teen Cannabis Education Program, which was re-launched in March 2023 as a virtual program to educate youth and young adults about the health effects of cannabis. The department has also produced public education material that emphasizes the importance of storing cannabis securely away from children and pets.

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Marijuana Moment: GOP Leaders Blocked Schumer’s Push To Include Cannabis Banking Reform In Government Funding Bill, Senate Source Says

Published

2 weeks ago

December 11, 2024

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MM write

Republican House and Senate leadership “openly and solely blocked” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) attempt to include bipartisan marijuana banking legislation in a government funding bill, a Senate source familiar with the negotiations tells Marijuana Moment.

As bicameral lawmakers have worked to put together a continuing resolution to keep the government funded, Schumer repeatedly urged colleagues across the aisle to incorporate the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act, to no avail. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) killed that prospective deal, the source said.

“Schumer pushed for SAFER Banking at the negotiation table in the CR multiple times. This week, both Speaker Johnson and Leader McConnell strongly rejected it,” they said. “For years some Republicans have done a dance telling marijuana businesses that they supported SAFER, while Republican leadership has openly and solely blocked it at every turn.”

GOP Leaders Blocked Schumer’s Push To Include Marijuana Banking Reform In Government Funding Bill, Senate Source Says

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Brazil: Parliamentary Front of Medicinal Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Announce Funded Cannabis Projects

Published

3 weeks ago

December 6, 2024

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The Parliamentary Front of Medicinal Cannabis and Industrial Hemp held the last meeting of 2024 in the Plenary Dom Pedro I, in the Legislative Assembly of Sao Paulo (Alesp). On the occasion, the eight winning projects of the 2nd edict of parliamentary amendments, defined by the Deliberative Council of the Front, were announced.

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State deputies Caio France and Eduardo Suplicy, coordinator and deputy coordinator of the Front, allocated R$ 1 million from the 2025 budget of individual tax amendments to finance the initiatives. Each parliamentarian contributed R$ 500 thousand, encouraging projects covering medical cannabis and industrial hemp.

Projects selected by universities and third sector entities

Of the more than 30 projects enrolled, half were submitted by public universities, such as Unicamp, Unesp and Unifesp, while the rest came from third sector organizations, city halls and state institutions. The requested values varied between R$ 50 thousand and R$ 500 thousand, with proposals covering production of informative materials, clinical studies, congresses and development of technologies related to medical cannabis.

Among the themes of the projects, we highlight studies on chronic pain, online training courses, evaluations of cannabis use in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and the creation of digital platforms with data on therapeutic responses.

Legislative advances and national impact

Deputy Caio France celebrated the advances made in 2024, such as the inclusion of cannabis in the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia and the decision of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) allowing the cultivation of hemp for medicinal, pharmaceutical and industrial purposes. “State law 17,618/23 was instrumental in driving these changes. The discussions held at the meetings of the Parliamentary Front served as a guide in the selection of projects,” highlighted France.

How to follow up on the ad

The audience will be broadcast live on the Alesp Network channel on YouTube, and the results will be available on the official website of the Parliamentary Front (www.fpcannabis.co.uk).

https://sechat.com.br/noticia/frente-parlamentar-da-cannabis-medicinal-divulga-projetos-selecionados-em-edital-de-2024?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=100194737&utm_content=100194737&utm_source=hs_email

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