Medical Marijuana - Boon or Bane?

CEBU, Philippines - Reports of the medical use of cannabis sativa or what is commonly known as marijuana and the clamor for its legalization have been a noteworthy topic of public debate in the country just lately. As some countries in Europe and some states in the United States have amended their drug laws to either decriminalize or legalize the use of marijuana, calls for the legalization in the Philippines also is building up.

Given the known risks that the use of marijuana poses and in the absence of comprehensive studies or research to determine its positive health effects, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the agency tasked to oversee matters regarding drugs in the country is very cautious in reviewing and enacting policies relative to drug prevention and control. With the wellbeing and health of Filipinos in general at stake, the agency is opposed the legalization of marijuana, even for medical use.

Marijuana has a history of medicinal use dating back thousands of years across many cultures. Its usage in modern times is controversial, and in recent years several organizations have issued conflicting statements on its usage for medicinal purposes.

Medical marijuana refers to the use of the plant and its constituent cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, as medical therapy to treat disease or ease symptoms. Marijuana has been used to reduce nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy and people with AIDS, and to treat pain and muscle spasticity. Its use for other medical applications has been studied, but there is so far inadequate data for conclusions about safety and efficacy.

Medical marijuana can be administered using a variety of methods, including vaporizing or smoking dried buds, eating extracts, taking capsules or using oral sprays. Long-term effects of medical marijuana use are not clear, and there are concerns about eventual memory and cognition problems, risk for dependence and the danger of children taking it by accident.

Recreational use of marijuana is unlawful in most parts of the world, but its medical use is legal in certain countries, including Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. In the US, federal law outlaws all cannabis use, while 20 states and the District of Columbia have decided they are no longer willing to put on trial individuals merely for the possession or sale of marijuana, as long as the individuals are in conformity with the state's marijuana sale set of laws.

Following the recent enactment of laws in Europe and several states in the US legalizing not only medical but also recreational use of marijuana, a clamor to do the same has ignited in the Philippines. There are a number of groups appealing for the legalization of marijuana - their plea ranging from legalization to decriminalization, to medical marijuana.

In the strictest sense, these three words are not the same. Marijuana legalization generally refers to laws or policies which make possession and use of marijuana legal. Decriminalization refers to laws or policies which reduce the penalties for possession and use, from criminal sanctions to fines or civil penalties.

On the other hand, medical marijuana, which has been the popular argument of its campaigners, allows for an individual to defend oneself from criminal charges if marijuana is used as a form of treatment or medication. There is a mistaken belief though that "smoked marijuana" is synonymous with "medical marijuana."

Marijuana contains a number of chemicals. Not all of these components have been reported to have medicinal worth. Among these is the psychoactive component Tetrahydrocannabinol, which has also been proven to have harmful effects. This component must be extracted from marijuana for it to be used as medication. Like all other medications, a strict clinical scrutiny by the Food and Drugs Administration must first be conducted.

Statistical data from the Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in the Philippines reveal that before the advent of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, marijuana was the most abused drug in the country.

During the 1980s, most patients admitted in treatment and rehabilitation centers were marijuana users. It was only in the 1990's when it was overtaken by shabu. Marijuana use continues and at present, it still ranks as the second most abused drug in the country, according to the 2012 Nationwide Survey among age group 10-69 years old on the current nature and extent of drug abuse in the Philippines.

So, in the absence if new laws and DOH-FDA authorization based on scientific clinical studies, medical use of marijuana remains illegal overall in the Philippines. (FREEMAN)