Camarines Sur 5th district Rep. Miguel Luis “Migz” Villafuerte will try to accomplish in the 20th Congress something that his father gallanty tried but failed to do--see to the enactment of the medical cannabis bill.

In House Bill (HB) No. 420, Rep. Villafuerte proposes the legalization of the non-addictive, non-hallucinogenic ingredient of the cannabis plant--also known as marijuana--for use only for medical or therapeutic purposes.

It also seeks the creation of the Medical Cannabis Office (MCO) as the primary regulatory, administrative, and monitoring agency to oversee its importation, cultivation, manufacture and use in the country.

The solon's father, now Camarines Sur Governor LRay Villafuerte, backed in the House of Representatives the legalization of medical cannabis in the past three Congresses, but this proposal got nowhere because of the failure of the Senate to pass a counterpart measure.

One of the primary components of the cannabis sativa or cannabis indica plant is cannabidiol (CBD), which does not have psychoactive effects but has been shown to be effective in treating the side effects of certain severe diseases, such as reducing seizures in individuals with epilepsy, said Rep. Villafuerte, chairman of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Otherwise known as the "Access to Medical Cannabis Act,” HB No.420 legalizes the use of CBD for “the treatment and medication of qualified patients with debilitating and non-debilitating medical conditions".

“This proposed legislation seeks to legalize the medical use of cannabis for qualified patients. It establishes the MCO under the Department of Health (DOH), and which shall exercise administrative, regulatory, and monitoring functions on medical cannabis use, including its cultivation, importation, production, and distribution,” Rep. Villafuerte, a second-term congressman, said of HB No.420.

He said his proposed measure also “outlines the role of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in ensuring compliance with health and safety standards, and of the CHEd (Commission on Higher Education) in integrating medical cannabis education into relevant tertiary degree programs".

CBD is different from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is another active ingredient of cannabis sativa but which is the one with intoxicating or psychoactive qualities that produce the “high” or buzz for those who smoke or eat it.

Villafuerte hopes that legislators would support his bill on grounds that: (1) medical cannabis has been legalized already in 60 countries as of 2024, and that (2) the World Health Organization (WHO) itself has published a report confirming that CBD "exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential .... there is no evidence of public health-related problems associated with the use of pure CBD."

The 60 countries that have legalized medical cannabis include Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel and the United Kingdom (UK).

He said that CBD’s medicinal value has been affirmed in medical journals of various prominent global institutions, and that the United States FDA (US FDA) has already appr0ved medicines that contain cannabis, such as Epidiolex, Sativex, Sinemet and Marinol.

“While acknowledging valid concerns about the recreational use of marijuana, this bill aims to strike a balance by safeguarding the public from the harmful effects of certain substances while ensuring that patients in need are not deprived of access to essential treatment,” Rep. Villafuerte said.

He pointed out that “numerous studies have demonstrated CBD's efficacy in treating specific epilepsy syndromes such as Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, as well as its potential in managing chronic pain and anxiety".

“A 2021 study estimates that approximately 0.9 percent of the Filipino population or around 900,000 individuals live with epilepsy. Of this number, roughly 25 percent suffer from intractable seizures that are resistant to standard treatments and require multiple and costly medications,” he said.

In Asia, Rep. Villafuerte said that several countries, including Thailand, South Korea, Sri Lanka and India have already legalized medical marijuana. He noted that this reflects a growing regional recognition of its benefits, particularly for epilepsy and related conditions.