SENATOR Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Tuesday said he is open to Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray’s suggestion of allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on health and demography, said he would discuss the matter with Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III who is a staunch anti-illegal drugs advocate.
“I am open to it, as chair of the committee of health, because it can prolong the lives and ease the pain of cancer patients and relieve their agony,” Ejercito said during a press briefing.
“Why not? As long as safety measures are in place. Because it might be abused especially here where there are many instances they can find ways to sidestep the law. So we need to make sure that if that is going to be allowed, we need to be strict,” he said.
Ejercito said he will pursue the measure filed Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Senate Bill No. 1313 or the public health intervention for drug abuse bill which is closest to a provision for medical marijuana, should he win another Senate term in the upcoming 2019 elections.
“In the next round, hopefully, I would want to calendar it. Sen. Sotto is very much against it, talagang sarado dito. Given the chance I would want to discuss it with him. What he can do so he would agree to it, especially in the aspect of safety mechanism,” he said.
Most likely, he said, the bill will be taken up in the 18th Congress.
“It is also good to discuss the measure because if cannabis is being allowed in some countries, But for me, for medical usage lang. Medical marijuana lang of course, not for recreational use,” Ejercito said.
Sought for comment, Sotto, however, remains firm on his stand there is no need to pass a measure on marijuana reiterating that its use is legal if it would be administered to a person who has a serious illness. (Hannah Torregoza)
