Asia has not been keeping pace with the Americas, Europe and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) in terms of reforming cannabis laws to allow medicinal use. The island of Guam (a US possession) is the only place in East Asia which has passed a medical cannabis law. The Philippines would be the second.
This might seem somewhat unlikely on its face given that Philippine President Duterte unleashed a violent military and paramilitary anti-drug campaign after his election which has reportedly taken thousands of lives of those even suspected of drug involvement (including cases of cannabis) without due process.
However after the president blessed the notion, and “after much debate, the Philippines House Committee on Health has endorsed House Bill 180, which would legalize cannabis for medical use in the Philippines.
…cannabis in its raw, flower form or as hash, will not be permitted. All cannabis-derived medicines must be extracted forms of cannabis, such as tinctures, capsules or edibles.”
See also: http://ift.tt/2uAvu78 for more on Duterte’s role, and on drugs and Philippine culture
“Cannabis, affectionately known as ‘toot-toot’ by older generations, is widely used by indigenous Filipino tribes in rituals and traditional medicine and is mostly cultivated in the mountainous regions of Luzon and Mindanao. These areas are fertile and secluded, making them an ideal spot for discreet cannabis cultivation.
There’s also an underground network of producers providing cannabis to Filipinos suffering from various medical conditions, from cancer to arthritis to Dravet Syndrome.”
#MMJ #Philippines #Asia #Legalization #UTpol #TRUCE
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See full article – Philippines Health Committee Passes Medical Cannabis Bill | Leafly
