What: Debate

When: February 14, Friday

📌 (We're on the CONS side)

Question/ What we should know

1. What is Marijuana

2. Positive effects of Marijuana

3. Negative effects of Marijuana

4. Legal basis

5. Kung saan legal Marijuana, anong epekto nito sa country nila.

Several possible health benefits of medical marijuana have been proposed:

• Nausea: Marijuana is effective in relieving nausea and vomiting. Studies have shown that
cannabis can decrease nausea caused by chemotherapy and almost eliminate vomiting.

• Spasticity: Marijuana can relieve pain and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis.

• Appetite: Marijuana can help treat appetite loss associated with conditions like HIV/AIDS
and certain types of cancers.

• Chronic pain: Marijuana can relieve certain types of chronic pain, including neuropathic
pain, which is caused by nerve damage.

Arguments in favor of using medical marijuana include:

• It’s safer: Marijuana is safer than some other medications prescribed to treat pain. For
example, some people may use it instead of opioids for pain management. Opioids are
highly addictive and are typically not recommended for long-term use in treating chronic
pain.
• You can use it in many ways: You do not need to smoke cannabis for its benefits.
Products such as topical pain relief treatments, edibles, and other non-smoking
applications are now available.

• It’s natural: People have used marijuana for centuries as a natural medicinal agent with
good results.

Negative effects of Marijuana:

•Memory issues: Frequent marijuana use may seriously affect your short-term memory.

• Cognition problems: Frequent use can impair your cognitive (thinking) abilities.

• Lung damage: Smoking anything, whether it's tobacco or marijuana, can damage your
lung tissue. In addition, smoking marijuana could increase the risk of lung cancer.

• Abuse: Marijuana carries a risk of abuse and addiction.

• Accidents: Marijuana use impairs driving skills and increases the risk for car collisions.

Current Legal Status of Marijuana in the Philippines:

— As of today, marijuana remains classified as a dangerous drug under Republic Act

No.9165, also known as the "Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002." Under this
law, marijuana is categorized as a Schedule I substance, meaning it has a high potential for
abuse, with no accepted medical use in the Philippines, and is therefore prohibited. The
possession, cultivation, distribution, and use of marijuana are criminalized under this law,
with violators subject to severe penalties, including life imprisonment and fines. The law's
stringent provisions reflect the Philippine government's commitment to combating illegal
drugs, a policy that has been central to various administrations.

Arguments

Con 1: Legalizing recreational marijuana comes with serious societal

costs.
Marijuana use harms more than just the person using the drug. Societal costs of marijuana
use include paying for increased emergency room visits, medical care, and addiction
treatment for the uninsured; more victims of drugged driving accidents; and workplace
accidents. Legalizing marijuana would put one more harmful substance in our society that
costs more than the revenue it generates.

After retail marijuana stores opened in Colorado, emergency room (ER) visits related to
marijuana shot up nearly 30% and hospitalizations related to marijuana rose 200%.“The
emergency department has seen increased visits for primary care needs, breathing
problems related to inhalation of marijuana, including asthma, bronchitis, upper
respiratory tract infections, as well as psychiatric needs, accidental or intentional
overdoses and, unfortunately, increased pediatric patients with issues related to
marijuana,” said Karen Randall, an ER physician in Colorado. Further, people end up in the
ER with anxiety attacks or psychotic-like symptoms from eating sweets infused with more
marijuana than they were expecting—or, in some cases, not expecting at all. People are
used to the idea that a candy bar is a single serving size, but a candy bar with marijuana
could have four or more times the recommended dose of THC, depending on the state’s
regulations. As a result, poison-control marijuana exposure cases for kids ages 9 and
under increased more than five-fold in Colorado after legalization.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as many as four million Americans meet
the diagnostic criteria for a marijuana use disorder, such as abuse, dependence, or
addiction. Dr. Drew Pinsky, a board-certified internist and addiction medicine specialist,
said, “I’ve been treating cannabis addiction for 20 years. When people are addicted to
cannabis, cocaine and alcohol the drug they have the most difficult time giving up is the
cannabis.”

A study in the Journal of Drug Issues found that the number of US daily marijuana users has
risen dramatically since 2002 and now 68% of users report daily or near-daily use. Kevin
Sabet, director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, wrote, “The scientific verdict is that
marijuana can be addictive and dangerous… Many baby boomers have a hard time
understanding this simply because today’s marijuana can be so much stronger than the
marijuana of the past.”

Marijuana-related traffic deaths rose 62% following the legalization of marijuana in

Colorado. Jim Leal, former Chief of Police of Newark, California, said of legalizing
marijuana, “You are commercializing a product that is just going to put more impaired
drivers on the road, worsening a problem that we already have. What officers are seeing
with THC levels being very high is they are seeing impairment being far worse than they
have ever seen in the past.” The Highway Loss Data Institute found an increased crash risk
in legal marijuana states and said collision claims in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and
Washington increased 6% as compared to states that don’t have legal marijuana. A meta-
study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) concluded
that “Cannabis use prior to driving increases the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle
accident.”

Workplace incidents involving employees under the influence of marijuana increased from
6% to 20% the year after legalization in Colorado. Employees who screened positive for
marijuana use had 55% more industrial accidents, 85% more injuries, and absenteeism
rates 75% higher than those who tested negative, according to a study done on postal
workers. Paul L. Bittner, partner and vice chair of the Labor and Employment Group at Ice
Miller law firm, said, “You not only lose productivity, but the bigger concern for employers is
potential liability if there’s an accident and someone gets hurt or killed.”

Con 2: Legalizing recreational marijuana dramatically increases growth of

the plant, which is bad for the environment.
According to a 2021 review, “Results show that both indoor and outdoor cannabis growing
is water-intensive. The high water demand leads to water pollution and diversion, which
could negatively affect the ecosystem. Studies found out that cannabis plants emit a
significant amount of biogenic volatile organic compounds, which could cause indoor air
quality issues. Indoor cannabis cultivation is energy-consuming, mainly due to heating,
ventilation, air conditioning, and lighting. Energy consumption leads to greenhouse gas
emissions. Cannabis cultivation could directly contribute to soil erosion. Meanwhile,
cannabis plants have the ability to absorb and store heavy metals.

Additionally marijuana cultivation results in deforestation, habitat destruction, and river

diversion.

Cannabis plants require nearly double the amount of water needed to grow grapes or
tomatoes. Rosamond Naylor, Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the
Environment, said, “Taking water directly from rivers and streams in the summer [to grow
marijuana] not only reduces the water available for agriculture but also threatens wildlife
species… Regardless of the legal status of marijuana, the way we are currently managing
its impacts on water and wildlife in California just doesn’t work.”

Because remains an illegal drug at the federal level, “the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has not approved any pesticides for use on the plant.” This lack of
guidance has resulted in some growers using “banned pesticides and blood thinners/rat
poisons against crop-eating mammals” and not properly disposing of chemicals and
waste. Further, growing marijuana results in a number of waste streams, including waste
similar to food manufacturers, agricultural waste, mercury-containing waste (as a result of
UV light use), toxic and flammable waste from THC extraction chemicals. Uneducated
growers, or those without state-supported guidelines may be destroying their local
environments.

Legal indoor growing also requires a lot of electricity for lighting, heating, and ventilation.
These “heavy-load electric devices” include UV lights that are powered on 16 or more hours
daily, irrigation systems, HVAC (air conditioning and heating) systems, and air filter
systems. In just three years after legalization, Denver growers doubled their electric use,
accounting for almost 5% of the 2.8 million city residents’ power use.

Derek Smith, executive director of the non-profit Resource Innovation Institute, explains,
“The reality is this industry has been in the shadows for a long time [and thus, many newly
legal growers are]… using, in some cases, the same technology that was used in
basements in the black market days just blown up to 50,000 square feet – very hot lights,
very inefficient HVAC, very little ventilation.”

Not only do old and new technologies seriously strain an already stuggling power grid, but
the energy consumption from growing marijuana also produces an amount of greenhouse
gas emissions equal to that of 3.3 million cars each year. As a Jan. 2022 Mother Jones
article jabs, “Dude, your cannabis habit has an epic carbon footprint.” The article notes,
“Studying more than 1,000 locations across the United States, researchers from Colorado
State University calculated the median emissions of growing one kilogram of cannabis to
be about 3,600 kilograms of CO2 equivalent emissions. The amount varies from roughly
2,300 to 5,200 kilograms of emissions per kilogram grown depending on location. To put
that in perspective, a kilogram of tomatoes grown in a British Columbia [Canada]
greenhouse heated with natural gas emits roughly two kilograms.”

Con 3: Legalizing recreational marijuana creates a “Big Marijuana”

industry, while boosting illegal marijuana sales and use.
“Big Marijuana” is already using similar tactics to “Big Tobacco,” which marketed cigarettes
using ads that appealed to kids, including the Joe Camel cartoon character. Marijuana food
products are frequently colorful, sweet, or branded with cartoons to attract children.
Marijuana is available in kid-friendly forms such as gummy bears and lollipops, and
products sometimes resemble familiar brands, such as “Buddahfinger” or “KeefKat” in
wrappers that look like a Butterfinger or KitKat candy bar.

The percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds using marijuana is higher in every legal marijuana
state than the national average. For example, 16.21% of Colorado teens and 18.86% of
teens in Alaska reported marijuana use in the past year, compared to an average of 12.29%
for the United States overall in 2015-2016. Colorado past-month teen marijuana use
jumped 20% in the two-year average after marijuana was legalized for adults.

Further, creating a commercialized, legal market has actually enhanced opportunities for
the illegal market, because prices charged by state-licensed sellers can easily be undercut
by cartels. A drug dealer told Vice News, “Right now with the way the tax structure is in
Washington, the black market is going to thrive.”

In Colorado, a sharp increase in marijuana-related charges filed under the state’s

Organized Crime Control Act coincided with the legalization of marijuana, indicating a rise
in organized crime. The Colorado Attorney General’s office stated that legalization “has
inadvertently helped fuel the business of Mexican drug cartels… cartels are now trading
drugs like heroin for marijuana, and the trade has since opened the door to drug and
human trafficking.” Local officials said that Mexican cartels were growing marijuana under
the cover of legal operations in Colorado and using that to fuel the black market in other
states.

Additionally three United Nations treaties set worldwide drug controls. As a party to the
treaties, the United States has agreed to limit the use of marijuana “exclusively to medical
and scientific purposes.” The move by some U.S. states to legalize adult-use marijuana has
upset the U.N. monitoring organization, which stated that legalization “cannot be
reconciled with the legal obligation” to uphold the Single Convention treaty. Legalizing
marijuana puts the United States in a position of weakness when we need to hold other
nations accountable to legal agreements.

Con 4: Health experts do not believe recreational marijuana should be

legal.
Smoking marijuana can damage lung tissues and cause respiratory problems; secondhand
marijuana smoke is also dangerous. Research shows that smoking one marijuana joint is
as damaging to the lungs as five tobacco cigarettes. Marijuana may contain five times as
much carbon monoxide concentration and three times as much tar as tobacco. There is a
higher risk of heart attacks and strokes in the hours immediately after smoking cannabis.
And vaping is also dangerous and “likely leads to enhanced ingestion of toxic ammonia
known to result in neurobehavioral impairment.” Ammonia ingested while vaping can result
in lung irritation, nervous system effects, and asthma attacks.

Some of the public health associations that oppose legalizing marijuana for recreational
use include the American Medical Association, the American Society of Addiction
Medicine, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American
Academy of Pediatrics.

The American Medical Association “continues to oppose legalization of cannabis.

Legalization of cannabis for adult use is associated with increased traffic fatalities,
exposures reported to poison control (including infants and children), emergency
department visits, and cannabis-related hospitalizations.”

Con Quotes:

• Extensive scientific research has documented serious harm to brain development for
teenage regular users, major consequences for pregnant and nursing mothers and
significant impairment for drivers and others performing sensitive tasks. Colorado, the first
state to legalize marijuana, leads the nation in use by 12-to-17-year-olds. Meanwhile, the
gangs and drug dealers are cheering because their sales have skyrocketed, selling to
minors and others at lower prices than dispensaries can offer.

Policy makers need to examine the consequences of legalization: changes in teenage use,
traffic accidents and fatalities, emergency room and treatment admissions, homelessness
and more.”

—Peter Bensinger, letter to the Wall Street Journal, wsj.com, Jan. 2, 2020

• Teresa Haley, State President of the NAACP Illinois, stated:

“We believe strongly that past and current practices of the tobacco, alcohol and marijuana
industries prove that these industries target, exploit and victimize communities of color. At
a time when we are all working to bring more opportunity and advancement to our
communities, legalizing today’s high-potency marijuana will work counter to those efforts.
The vast majority of legal pot businesses are owned by wealthy, white investors.
Commercial marijuana is NOT social justice. It’s about Big Tobacco, Pharma and Wall
Street investors preying on people of color and hooking them on a dangerous product for
years to come. It’s about putting profits ahead of people…

Today’s high-THC content marijuana, including liquids, oils and edible forms pose
significant mental and physical health risks, especially for our young people …

We have stood steadfast in our opposition to commercial marijuana in Michigan and New
Jersey, and we urge you to do the same.”

— Teresa Haley, letter to the Speaker of the New York State Assembly and the President
and Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, blog.timesunion.com, Mar. 13, 2019• As
a signatory to various international drug control treaties, the Philippines is obligated to
adhere to global standards for controlling narcotic substances. The Philippines is part of
the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), which classifies marijuana as a substance
that requires stringent regulation. This international treaty, along with the Convention on
Psychotropic Substances (1971) and the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988), forms the backbone of global drug
policy, and these treaties generally frown upon the legalization of recreational drugs. (It's
our responsibility and obligation na ipagbawal ang mga recreational drugs like marijuana sa
ating bansa since kasama po ang Pilipinas sa mga kasunduan or international treaties na
naglalayong mapigilan at malabanan ang paggamit ng mga ipinagbabawal na gamot.)

Possible arguments of opposing team and counterarguments:

Pro Arguments

Pro 1: Legalizing recreational marijuana results in helpful regulation of a

safe drug, without increasing potential negative consequences.
People buying marijuana on the street have no way of knowing if what they’re ingesting is
covered with mold, fungus, pesticides, or other harmful substances. Once marijuana is
legalized, the government is able to enforce laboratory testing and regulations to ensure
that marijuana is free of toxins. For example, Washington law requires health warnings,
quality assurance, labeling for the concentration of THC, and other important regulations
for consumers.
Further, legalization comes with regulations to prevent kids’ exposure to marijuana,
including child-resistant packaging, such as the regulations implemented in Colorado,
Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Legalization allows the government to set age restrictions
on buyers and to license and regulate the entire supply chain of marijuana, including
growers, distributors, retailers, and testing laboratories. California regulations include
limitations on the serving sizes for edible marijuana products, seed-to-sale testing and
tracking, and 24-hour video surveillance at retail stores.

Due in part to these regulations, “the rates of marijuana use by young people are falling
despite the fact more US states are legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana use and the
number of adults using the drug has increased.” Marijuana use among 8th graders in
Washington state decreased following legalization in 2012, from 9.8 percent to 7.3 percent
in 2014/2016, according to a Dec. 2018 report from RAND. A study from the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) found that past-year marijuana use decreased by 17%, from 15.8%
in 2002 to 13.1% in 2014, among US kids ages 12 to 17. Colorado teens between 12 and 17
years old reported a nearly 12% drop in marijuana use just two years after adult use was
legalized, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The Marijuana Policy
Project, an organization that leads marijuana legalization campaigns, said, “Study after
study has confirmed that marijuana policy reforms do not cause rates of youth marijuana
use to increase…. The most in-depth state surveys suggest modest decreases in rates of
youth marijuana use in Colorado and Washington.”

Additionally, traffic deaths dropped 11% on average in states that legalized medical
marijuana. In fact, studies show that drivers under the influence of marijuana tend to be
more cautious and take fewer risks than drunk drivers, such as making fewer lane changes
and reducing speed. A fact sheet about marijuana’s effects on drivers posted on the
National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration website stated that “Some drivers may
actually be able to improve performance for brief periods by overcompensating for self-
perceived impairment.” Benjamin Hansen, an economics professor at the University of
Oregon at Eugene who studied traffic deaths post-medical marijuana legalization,
concludes, “Public safety doesn’t decrease with increased access to marijuana, rather it
improves.”

The fact of the matter is that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, which are
already legal. Alcohol and tobacco are known to cause cancer, heart failure, liver damage,
and more. According to the CDC, six people die from alcohol poisoning every day and
88,000 people die annually due to excessive alcohol use in the United States. There are no
recorded cases of death from marijuana overdose.
Three to four times as many Americans are dependent on alcohol as on marijuana. A study
in the Lancet ranking the harmfulness of drugs put alcohol first as the most harmful,
tobacco as sixth, and cannabis eighth. A national poll found that people view tobacco as a
greater threat to health than marijuana by a margin of four to one (76% vs. 18%), and 72%
of people surveyed believed that regular use of alcohol was more dangerous than
marijuana use. “In several respects, even sugar poses more of a threat to our nation’s
health than pot,” said Dr. David L. Nathan, a clinical psychiatrist and president of Doctors
for Cannabis Regulation.

Pro 2: Legalizing recreational marijuana would end the costly, and

frequently racist, enforcement of marijuana laws and debilitate the illegal
marijuana market.
Arresting people for marijuana possession costs the United States between $1.19 billion
and $6.03 billion annually. These costs include police, judicial, legal, and corrections
expenses. Incarcerating marijuana offenders costs the United States an estimated $600
million per year. Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron has estimated that marijuana legalization
would save between $7.7 billion and $13.7 billion annually.

Instead of arresting people for marijuana, police officers could focus on serious crimes
including rape, assault, and homicide. For example, marijuana legalization in Washington
significantly freed up law enforcement resources; marijuana possession arrests dropped
from 5,531 the year before legalization to 120 the year after. Howard Wooldridge, a former
police detective from Michigan who co-founded LEAP (Law Enforcement Against
Prohibition), said, “Marijuana prohibition is a horrible waste of good police time. Every hour
spent looking for pot reduces public safety.”

Further, statistics show a significant racial disparity in the enforcement of marijuana laws:
even though white and black people use marijuana at roughly the same rate, a black
person in the United States is 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana
possession on average. In Iowa, the state with the highest inequity, black people are 8.3
times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people. In New York
City, 15.8% of marijuana possession cases involving white people result in conviction,
compared to 32.3% involving black people and 30% involving Hispanic people. Marijuana
possession convictions can impact people’s ability to get public housing, financial aid for
school, loans, and jobs. Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Criminal Justice and Drug Policy
director for the ACLU of California, stated, “Racial disparities in marijuana enforcement are
widespread and longstanding.” Legalizing marijuana would help correct the disparity.
Legalizing recreational marijuana would also subvert the illegal marijuana market. Data
from the U.S. Border Patrol shows that marijuana seizures have decreased by millions of
pounds and are at their lowest levels in over a decade, indicating that legal domestic
production is decreasing demand for marijuana smuggled in from Mexico. A Mexican
cannabis farmer told NPR, “If the US continues to legalize pot, they’ll run us into the
ground.” Legalization in Colorado and Washington alone has cost Mexican drug cartels an
estimated $2.7 billion in profits.

Finally, studies show that medical marijuana dispensaries decreased crime in their
neighborhoods because of an increased security presence and more people walking
around the area. Research also indicates that people drink less and alcohol sales drop in
places where marijuana is legalized, which in turn decreases crime because the amount of
crime and violence caused by alcohol use is ten times higher than by marijuana use and
alcohol is a factor in around 40% of violent crimes, including domestic violence and
assault. According to FBI crime statistics, violent crime in Washington decreased in the
years after legalization (295.6 violent offenses reported per 100,000 Washington residents
in 2011 vs. 284.4 violent offenses per 100,000 people in 2015).

Taylor West, former deputy director for the National Cannabis Industry Association, said,
“We’re not seeing any increase in crime rates through marijuana — we’re seeing lower
crime rates, and there are good rational reasons for that: We’re really beginning to cripple
the criminal market, which is where violence actually occurs.”

Pro 3: Legalizing recreational marijuana boosts the economy by creating

new tax revenue and jobs.
For every $1.00 spent in the marijuana industry, between $2.13 and $2.40 in economic
activity is generated for other industries, including but not limited to: tourism, banking, real
estate, construction, and transportation. While 2017 estimates suggested the marijuana
industry (adult-use and medical) in the United States could exceed $24 billion in revenue
by 2025, the industry hit $24.6 billion in revenue in 2021, exceeding the market for energy
drinks, milk, and orange juice.

In Colorado, marijuana brings in three times more tax revenue than alcohol. The state
raised $78 million in the first fiscal year after starting retail sales, and $129 million the
second fiscal year. Washington collected a total of $220 million in tax revenues in its
second fiscal year of sales.

The legal marijuana industry generated $7.2 billion in economic activity in 2016, and added
millions of dollars in federal taxes paid by cannabis businesses. A study on adult-use
marijuana in Nevada projected $7.5 billion in economic activity over the first seven years of
legalization in that state, including $1.7 billion in labor income. A study by the University of
California Agricultural Issues Center estimated that the legal marijuana market in
California could generate $5 billion annually.

In addition to creating tax revenue, legalizing marijuana creates jobs. As of Jan. 2022, the
legal marijuana industry had created 428,059 American jobs, with 107,000 new jobs in
2021 alone, according to the Leafly Jobs Report. The report noted that jobs increased 33%
from 2020 to 2021, or approximately 280 new jobs per day. 2021 was the fifth consecutive
years jobs increased by more than 27%.

An economic impact estimate from the Marijuana Policy Group forecast the creation of
more than 130,000 jobs in California following legalization. Within a few years of
legalization, approximately 18,000 additional full-time jobs were created in Colorado
annually, both in the actual marijuana business as well as in related fields such as security
and real estate. U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) stated that the cannabis
industry in the United States “is expected to produce nearly 300,000 jobs by 2020 and grow
to $24 billion by 2025.”

Further, all of the tax revenue in legal marijuana states provide funding to the police, drug
treatment and mental health centers, and housing programs, along with school programs
such as anti-bullying campaigns, youth mentoring, and public school grants. “The impact is
really felt at the local level. Some counties have done 20 years of infrastructure work in just
one year’s time. They’ve provided lunch for kids who need it,” says Brian Vicente, partner at
Vicente Sederberg LLC, a law firm specializing in the marijuana industry.

In Colorado, $40 million of marijuana tax revenue went to public school construction, while
$105 million went to housing programs, mental health programs in jails, and health
programs in middle schools in 2016-2017.

Pro 4: Most Americans agree recreational marijuana should be legal.

A 2022 Gallup poll found 59% support for legalizing marijuana among American adults, up
from 12% in 1969, the first year the polling company asked about marijuana. The poll first
surpassed 50% support in 2011.

According to Gallup, “the transformation in public attitudes about marijuana over the past
half-century has mirrored the liberalization of public attitudes about gay rights and the
same-sex-marriage movement.” While Democrats (73%) have been more likely to back
legalization historically, 45% of Republicans overall agree with legalization. However, 62%
of younger Republicans (18 to 29) support legalization for recreational use.
NORML, which lobbies for marijuana legalization, states, “Most Americans agree with
NORML that responsible marijuana consumers should not be treated like criminals. Eight
in ten Americans support the medical use of marijuana, and two-thirds of adults favor
legalizing marijuana for adults.” As evidence, 40 states took some action to relax their drug
laws (such as decriminalizing or lowering penalties for possession) between 2009 and
2013. And, as of Jan. 31, 2023, DC and 21 states had legalized recreational marijuana,
while DC and 37 states had legalized medical marijuana.

More:

• The 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates that the state protect and promote the right to
health (Article II, Section 15) and adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to
health development. Marijuana, particularly in its medical form, could be used to enhance
the quality of life for patients suffering from chronic conditions, such as cancer or epilepsy.
They may invoke Article III (Bill of Rights), Section 1, which guarantees that “no person shall
be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law,” to argue that individuals
should have the freedom to use medical marijuana as part of their right to self-
determination.

Counterargument:

According nga po ro'n sa 1987 Philippine Constitution; Article II, Section 15, the state have
to protect and promote the right to health, so the state has an obligation to regulate
substances that can pose risks to public health, katulad ng marijuana. Legalizing
marijuana could infringe on the right to life by endangering the health of individuals and the
BROADER population.

Pro Argument:

Globally, there has been growing acceptance of marijuana’s potential therapeutic benefits,
particularly in managing chronic pain, epilepsy, and other medical conditions. In this
context, many advocates have called for the legalization of medical marijuana in the
Philippines. In 2019, a bill seeking to legalize and regulate the medical use of marijuana—
House Bill No. 6517 or the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act—was
introduced in Congress. The bill sought to provide patients with access to cannabis-based
treatments under strict regulation.
Counterargument:

regarding that, marami pong nagsupport sa bill pero marami rin po ang mga tumutol na
medical professionals, law enforcement agencies, and conservative sectors of society.
Critics argued that legalizing medical marijuana could serve as a gateway to full
recreational legalization, which could lead to increased drug abuse. The legalization of
recreational marijuana presents even greater challenges from a public health perspective.
The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) has consistently warned against the dangers of
recreational marijuana use, citing its potential for addiction, negative effects on mental
health, and impairment of cognitive functions. (Isa pa po, since nandito tayo sa bansang
Pilipinas, na patuloy lang ang pagtaas ang lebel ng kahirapan, there are concerns na mas
mapalaki ng malawakang access sa marijuana ayung mga existing na social problems na
natin rito sa Pinas.

Pro Argument:

In countries like Canada and the United States (in states where it is legal), the marijuana
industry has become a multi-billion-dollar sector, creating jobs and generating substantial
tax revenue.

In the Philippines, the legalization of marijuana could offer economic opportunities in the
form of a regulated cannabis industry, which could include cultivation, processing,
distribution, and sales. This industry could provide jobs in agriculture, manufacturing,
retail, and ancillary services, particularly in rural areas where economic development is
needed. Furthermore, tax revenues from marijuana sales could provide additional funding
for public health initiatives, education, and infrastructure.

Counterargument:

The economic benefits of legalization must be weighed against potential costs, such as
increased spending on public health interventions, law enforcement, and regulatory
oversight. Additionally, there are concerns that legalizing marijuana could lead to
unintended consequences, such as increased drug tourism or the rise of illicit marijuana
markets operating alongside legal businesses.
Potential Legislative Reforms (mga need pa na baguhin kapag nilegalize ang marijuana sa
Pinas)

- If the Philippines were to explore the legalization of marijuana, it would require significant
legislative reforms. One approach would be to decriminalize marijuana for medical
purposes while maintaining strict regulations on its cultivation, distribution, and use. This
could be done by amending RA 9165 to provide exemptions for medical marijuana, similar
to the proposals outlined in House Bill No. 6517.

Another potential reform would involve creating a comprehensive regulatory framework for
both medical and recreational marijuana, similar to the models adopted by Canada or
Uruguay. Such a framework would need to address issues like licensing, taxation, quality
control, and public education campaigns aimed at minimizing the risks associated with
marijuana use.

Additionally, lawmakers would need to consider how to align these reforms with existing
anti-drug policies, particularly the government's broader efforts to combat illegal drug
trafficking and abuse.

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice

The Philippines has a long-standing and rigorous anti-drug policy, reinforced by the “war on
drugs” initiated by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016. Legalizing marijuana, even for
medical purposes, could pose significant challenges for law enforcement agencies that
have been tasked with combatting drug-related crimes.

One concern is that the legalization of marijuana could complicate efforts to distinguish
between legal and illegal marijuana use, cultivation, and distribution. Law enforcement
agencies may face difficulties in ensuring that legalized marijuana is not diverted to the
black market. Additionally, the relaxation of laws surrounding marijuana could send
conflicting messages about the government’s anti-drug stance, potentially weakening
public support for other drug control initiatives.

However, proponents of legalization argue that the current criminalization of marijuana

places a heavy burden on the criminal justice system. Thousands of individuals are
incarcerated for minor drug offenses related to marijuana, contributing to prison
overcrowding and straining judicial resources. Legalizing marijuana could reduce the
number of non-violent drug offenders in prison and allow law enforcement to focus on
more serious crimes, such as trafficking of harder substances like methamphetamine.