Back in 2017, the Philippines House Committee officially approved House Bill 180, which would legalize medical-grade marijuana in the island nation. Sponsored by Representative Rodolfo Albano III (of the Isabela First District), the bill eventually made it through the committee, resulting in a few major changes. Ultimately, marijuana could not be purchased in its pure form (flowers, buds), and all types of medication must constitute extracts and tinctures. Obviously, doctors and other medical professionals have to be certified to prescribe this medication (as with other locations). In the midst of legalization, though, did you know that the current president of the Philippines is actually a staunch supporter of marijuana? Let’s take a closer look at his perspective on the little green plant.
Stunning the Public and the Media
Earlier in December, President Rodrigo Duterte told members of a press conference that he used marijuana as a stimulant during long-term political conferences (including the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations consortium). Although he later contracted his proclamation, one of his spokesmen (Salvador Panelo) confirmed that the president would support any document that fully legalized the little green plant.
According to a report from ABS-CBN News, the president has shown support for the limited consumption of marijuana for medical purposes and will sign any bill associated with this belief.
Miss Universe and Marijuana
Recently, the presidential palace informed reporters that Miss Universe Catriona Gray’s support for medical marijuana legalization may have been directly influenced by the president’s perspective. Ultimately, Panelo believes that she may also have weighed in on the positive and negative aspects of this little green herb. Of this, we cannot know for sure.
During the Q&A section of the Miss Universe contest, officials asked Gray about her stance on the legalization of the plant, to which Gray responded that she was in favor of this plant for medical purposes. Ultimately, members of the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act were quite pleased with her stance on the drug.
Ultimately, this entire situation is surprising. At the start of his term in 2016, President Duterte was convinced that drugs were a vile part of human society and sought to wipe them out. He even dispatched waves of guerilla fighters to dispatch crime lords. Now, in a complete 180, President Duterte has voiced overwhelming support for pot. Who would’ve thought it was possible?
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