FOCUS ON 'SHABU,' PRO-MARIJUANA SOLON TELLS GOV'T

Ifugao Representative Solomon Chungalao said the government campaign to
stop the cultivation and distribution of marijuana had been an expensive
and tiring job.

Chungalao, who proposed the legalization of marijuana use for medical
purposes, said the government should instead focus its attention on
stopping the proliferation of "shabu" (methamphetamine hydrochloride) in
the country.

"The drive to eradicate marijuana appears frustrating and costing enormous
vital resources to the government. The police and the military furthermore
seem sidetracked in their efforts as they are now more concentrated on the
more dangerous drug called shabu," he said.

He said the government should differentiate between "hard" and "soft" drugs.

"Marijuana is a soft drug unlike shabu, which is a hard drug that has
absolutely no medicinal value," Chungalao said.