Medical marijuana should not be legalized because at present, its detriments outweigh its benefits.

Reasons against Legalizing Marijuana 

1. Addiction: Marijuana is an addictive drug. Therefore, marijuana should be either illegal or regulated

like prescription medications. Keep in mind that alcohol and tobacco are also addictive, yet they do
not have these restrictions.

2. Gateway Drug: Marijuana is typically considered a soft drug that is a gateway to harder, stronger,
and more dangerous drugs. There is little to no evidence to prove this theory.

3. Mental Instability: There is some evidence that marijuana may cause depression, schizophrenia,

and/or depersonalization disorders. It is obvious that more research is necessary to prove or disprove
these theories.

4. Lung Damage: As with everything burning that is inhaled, smoking marijuana causes lung damage,
just like smoking tobacco or cigarettes. Maybe tobacco should be treated the same as marijuana.

5. Cancer Causing: Several cancer causing compounds have been found in marijuana, just like tobacco.
Again, maybe tobacco should be treated the same as marijuana.

6. Brian Alteration: Marijuana interferes with the ability to make long term memories and can disrupt
thinking and learning, thus causes poor judgment.

7. Accidents: Just like alcohol and tobacco, marijuana use has been associated with an increase in
accidents, especially car accidents.

Marijuana usage for medical purposes under the bill “Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act" was
approved by the house committee last September 26.

A doctor from the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) said that although marijuana can be used
for medical purposes such as to control seizures, she would not recommend it. Dr. Genevieve Dahay,
coordinator of the Non-Communicable Disease Section of DOH-7, feared that the plant could be wrongfully
used as medication and abused. “We are not ready yet (to make this legal). Marijuana could be wrongly used
by sellers,” said Dahay. But for marijuana seller, Mark (not his real name), marijuana was simply a “happy
drug.”
In an interview, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said they do not subscribe to the idea of legalizing marijuana in
order to provide those in medical need of it to gain access. “We, in the medical community, believe that
legalizing a product is not the way to go,” said Ubial. She said this is because marijuana, or cannabis, can
already be availed in the country for those needing it for medical purposes by simply seeking permit from the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “We can access it. The FDA Law right now provides access to drugs
and medicines that are not registered in the Philippines for compassionate use,” explained Ubial. FDA Circular
2014-009 allowed the agency to provide Compassionate Special Permit to those needing to use drug products
that are not legalized in the country. To note, Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act
of 2002, includes marijuana resin, marijuana resin oil, and marijuana as among those considered as illegal.

“It has its medicinal uses but not in its raw form. The ones actually allowed are those that have already been
extracted of its medicinal component,” she said. Using marijuana in its raw form, according to the DOH head,
carries more danger of developing cancer and other illnesses. “In the raw form, actually, marijuana is more
dangerous than tobacco leaves. It has 400 chemicals and many are carcinogenic. It is four to five times more
carcinogenic than tobacco leaves,” said Ubial.