Just last month, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Philippines released a statement in support and approval of medicinal use of cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of marijuana, in the country for treating epilepsy. But this action was only about “creating minor changes in the requirements” from the already existing mandates in the medicinal use of the said substance. However, advocacy groups raised concerns stating that the current option available is no use because Epidiolex is very expensive (69,793 Php per 100 mg/ml) and impossible for most Filipinos to afford. In addition, this medicine is for cash paying customers only and are not valid with insurance plans.
Clearly, this means the Philippine government will always remain strict and firm regarding its anti-marijuana laws in the country. In fact, during the past couple of months the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) along with other police agencies have conducted a series of massive raids and arrests in Cebu City (Visayas), the Mountain Province (Luzon), and also in Mindanao. On March 7, Saturday, according to the police report, an estimated worth of more than Php 16M marijuana was confiscated in Sitio Pakkil, Lower Caluttit, Bontoc, Mountain Province. The incident happened at around 9:30 pm when the Bontoc Municipal Police Station (MPS) and the Drug Enforcement Unit and other police agencies halted the black Chevrolet in the highway at the said area. On board were 3 adults, 1 teenage girl, and a 7 year old child, all were residents of Angeles City, Pampanga. They are now at the custody (except the child) of Bontoc MPS.
Meanwhile in South Cotabato, worth 400,000 Php of marijuana plant were uprooted along the border between South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, according to the report. During the raid, the authorities and police officers from Tampakan and Columbio, together with the 27th Infantry Batallion, burned the marijuana farm. This is according to South Cotabato police Chief Capt. Joseph Villanueva.
In Kibungan, Benguet (Mountain Province), a couple was arrested for cultivating marijuana when a concerned citizen reported at the Kibungan Police Station (KPS). The couple were now said to be facing criminal charges related to RA 9165 or Dangerous Drugs Act. However, there is no specific information on the total amount of the said plants. Around January 6 and January 16, there were also massive plantation raids in Benguet. The former, which is in Barangay Palina, Kibungan, was reported to cost around 600,000 Php while the latter, which located between Bakun and Kapangan in the same region (Kibungan), cost around 7M Php.
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