Not time to legalize medical use of marijuana in PH yet

It is not yet time for the Philippines to legislate the use of marijuana for medical purposes, Philippine Health Secretary Enrique Ona said here Saturday. Reacting to a bill on the legalization of the medical use of marijuana, Ona said that first there is a need to determine medical conditions with which marijuana will be used for treatment or relief purposes. The bill, which was drafted by House Minority Leader and congressman from Isabela province Rodolfo Albano III, seeks to allow the use of marijuana by patients suffering from epilepsy and similar conditions. Albano had cited a documentary of the American cable television network CNN that featured the medicinal benefits of using marijuana, also known as cannabis. Ona, however, claimed that while there may already be studies abroad on this, they still have to be validated. The health chief said he does think the World Health Organization (WHO) had already confirmed the medicinal effects of marijuana. He was apprehensive that by allowing medical marijuana, "it could lead to more people having problem" with drug abuse. "We also have to study if there are alternatives. If there are alternatives, why turn to marijuana?" he added.