PRO-MARIJUANA TALK WORRIES PDEA

WARY of an increase in the number of drug addicts which has been estimated
at 3.4 million, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency yesterday said it is
strongly against a proposal pending in Congress to legalize marijuana for
medicinal purposes.

"Although we respect the views of our congressmen, given the present
situation, we are still not ready for such a proposal and we believe there
is still a big need to thoroughly study such plan," said PDEA chairman
Anselmo S. Avenido Jr.

Avenido recommended that further studies be made of marijuana's medical
benefits before Congress decides to make its use legal in the country.
Experts have said that continuous use of the drug could lead to a variety
of diseases, including cancer and emphysema, impotence, memory loss and
abnormalities among babies born to women-users.

The PDEA chief also warned that marijuana, whose scientific name is
cannabis sativa, is even considered a "gateway" drug that leads users to
try other illegal substances such as shabu, cocaine or heroin.

"That's one bad aspect that we must consider, especially when we legalize
marijuana as its users may graduate into a higher level of drug dependency
particularly on shabu," he said.

Next to shabu, marijuana remains a favorite in the Philippines where there
are an estimated 1.8 million regular drug users and 1.6 million occasional
users. Marijuana is most commonly grown in the cold mountains of
Cordillera, Leyte, Cebu, Sulu, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao.

It currently fetches a minimum price of P2,000 a kilo compared to shabu
which costs an average of P2 million a kilo or P2,000 a gram. Marijuana
sticks are readily available in the local market for as low as P10 each.
Last year, Avenido said PDEA agents uprooted and destroyed around P550
million worth of fully-grown marijuana plants and seedlings nationwide.

PDEA spokesman Senior Supt. Bernardo F. Bondoc echoed Avenido's statement
and said there is still no conclusive proof that marijuana has medicinal value.

"It (marijuana) has been included in the United Nations' list of dangerous
drugs up to now and we're conforming to the UN stand that it is harmful to
health. In fact, so many Filipino drug addicts have gone nuts due to
regular marijuana use before turning to shabu," Bondoc said.

Given the propensity of Filipinos to "improvise," Bondoc said it is not a
farfetched possibility that should marijuana become legal for medicinal
use, addicts would find a way to fake doctors' prescriptions just to be
able to buy the drug on a regular basis.

"We fear that addiction to marijuana could further grow once marijuana use
is legalized. It is still not the proper time for us to adopt a similar
measure," he said.

Avenido said that what is needed is the implementation of programs that
would help alleviate the condition of poor farmers in marijuana-growing
areas in the country, particularly Cordillera.

"There should be substitute crops to help them feed their family and not
resort to illegal marijuana cultivation," he said.

Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, son of President Macapagal-Arroyo was
reported to have backed a bill proposed by Ifugao Rep. Solomon Chungalao
legalizing marijuana on a limited aspect for the use of laboratories.

Marijuana is legal in some parts of the United States and Europe where
marijuana addicts could buy the drug and smoke it in some designated places
without being arrested.