VNA:rgs:emr 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.   ________ 
Introduced by 
REPRESENTATIVE PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ 
AN ACT 
REMOVING CANNABIS AND ANY FORM OR DERIVATIVE 
THEREOF FROM THE LIST OF DANGEROUS DRUGS AND 
SUBSTANCES UNDER EXISTING LAWS, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE SECTIONS 3 (J), 11, AND 16 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9165, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE COMPREHENSIVE DANGEROUS 
DRUGS ACT OF 2002, AS AMENDED 
EXPLANATORY NOTE: 
“Marijuana,” known as weed, pot, ganja, and Mary Jane, among 
others, is the flower of the Cannabis plant. It is currently listed as a 
“dangerous drug” in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.  
The history of Marijuana, and how it ended up misclassified as a 
“dangerous drug,” despite its worst side effect documented as merely 
making people either hungry and/or sleepy - while governments allow 
the public to consume alcohol (a far more dangerous substance leading to 
countless incidence of violence, injury, health problems, and deaths) - has 
an interesting background.  
Marijuana was categorized as an illegal substance by the USA under 
the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, signed by 
President Richard Nixon, delivering on his promise of “War on Drugs.” 
President Nixon believed that drug abuse was a cause for national 
January 16, 2023
3:03 pm
6783


emergency and even said that drug abuse was “public enemy number 
one.” [1]  
His position is understandable, given the detrimental effects of 
certain drugs upon people and societies. Unfortunately, marijuana was 
included in the hasty dragnet despite the fact that, compared to other 
truly dangerous drugs such as Methamphetamine (or “shabu”), among 
others, the worst effects of marijuana are benign and – as later research 
would show – its beneficial effects for health are overwhelming.  
Soon after President Nixon’s crusade against drugs, other countries 
followed suit in lumping marijuana together within the same 
classification as other truly dangerous drugs. In the Philippines, it was 
first categorized as a “prohibited drug” in the Dangerous Drugs Act of 
1972, the precursor to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.  
Laws are enacted based on facts, and they are discarded or changed 
based on new facts, and new knowledge, that are thereafter discovered 
and learned. Since it was first classified as dangerous drug, many 
scientific researches have shown that marijuana is not as harmful as it was 
first thought out to be. Its benefits, as it turns out, far outweigh the 
supposed harms it poses. Change, therefore, is needed to remedy the 
misclassification of marijuana as a dangerous drug.  
The paradigm shift has already begun. For example, in 2012, the 
States of Colorado and Washington made history as they legalized 
marijuana for recreational purposes. Other countries like Uruguay and 
Canada soon followed. As of 2022, a total of 56 countries have allowed the 
use of marijuana—48 countries for medical use, and eight countries for 
both medical and recreational purposes. [2] The Philippines must not be 
blind to these reforms which our neighbors have implemented based on 
sound science and with the public good in mind.  
Presently, although the Philippine Food and Drugs Administration 
(FDA) grants a special permit to use marijuana for medical purposes 
pursuant to Administrative Order No. 4, s. 1992, it is still listed as a 
1 Vulliamy, E. (2011, July 24) Nixon's 'war on drugs' began 40 years ago, and the battle is still raging. 
The Guardian. www.theguardian.com/society/2011/jul/24/war-on-drugs-40-years 
2 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. The Health Effects of Cannabis 
and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research. 


dangerous drug in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and 
selling and possession of a prescribed amount could land someone in jail 
for a minimum imprisonment of 12 years. Worse, the special permit is 
practically impossible to acquire and therefore effectively inaccessible to 
those who would benefit from marijuana. This group includes, but is not 
limited to, cancer patients. 
 
Restrictions in usage, even for medical purposes, under the premise 
of preventing public harm, makes no sense at all. In a 2017 report led by 
doctors at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, it was found 
that there was no or insufficient evidence to support or refute deaths due 
to cannabis usage.[3]  And yet, while marijuana has not been proven fatal 
even if consumed excessively, another substance – alcohol – which can 
kill a person through alcohol poisoning, is allowed by government to be 
sold to the public. Let us finally correct this policy that lacks common 
sense. If alcohol, a far more harmful product with little to no health 
benefits is allowed by the government, why should marijuana – with 
benefits that outweigh its supposed harms - be illegal?  
 
Advocates are pushing lawmakers to pass a bill legalizing 
marijuana to open its use for medical properties. Studies have shown that 
marijuana is effective in helping treat a variety of medical conditions, 
including cancer, chronic pain, and anxiety. In addition, marijuana helps 
improve appetite and sleep quality for people who are suffering from 
certain medical conditions.  
 
Another reason why marijuana should be legalized is for economic, 
and also tax, purposes. Removing marijuana from the list of dangerous 
drugs creates a massive economic opportunity for new businesses, jobs, 
and further revenue generation for the country which can be used to fund 
social programs. This claim is not unfounded. Legalizing the production, 
sale, and use of marijuana will potentially create markets worth billions. 
Canada, for example, a country that legalized the use of recreational 
marijuana since 2018, boasted a market value of $5.7 Billion in that same 
year alone.[4]  
 
                                                          
3 Wallace, P. (2022, October 31) Legalize Marijuana. Inquirer.net. opinion.inquirer.net/158300/legalize-
marijuana#ixzz7kgWT5Lz5 
4 Evans, Pete (2018, January 25) Canadians spent $5.7B on marijuana last year, StatsCan estimates. 
CBC News. www.cbc.ca/news/business/marijuana-industry-1.4503152 


Moreover, by allowing the government to regulate the market for 
marijuana, it ensures that marijuana being sold are also deemed safe and 
high in quality. This would protect consumers from potentially harmful 
counterfeit products, some laced with other drugs classified as 
dangerous. As for revenues generated, taxes collected could be used for 
social programs: housing, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, and markets. 
The additional revenue could also assist in helping pay for the country’s 
worrisome debts 
Given the foregoing, this bill seeks to simply amend Sections 3 (j), 
11, and 16 of Article III of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 
2002, by removing marijuana from the list, in effect decriminalizing the 
production, sale, and use of marijuana within Philippine jurisdiction.  
Hence, the passage of this bill is earnestly and fervently sought.
  PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ 


Page 1 of 4 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.   ________ 
Introduced by 
REPRESENTATIVE PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ 
AN ACT 
REMOVING CANNABIS AND ANY FORM OR DERIVATIVE 
THEREOF FROM THE LIST OF DANGEROUS DRUGS AND 
SUBSTANCES UNDER EXISTING LAWS, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE SECTIONS 3 (J), 11, AND 16 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9165, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE COMPREHENSIVE DANGEROUS 
DRUGS ACT OF 2002, AS AMENDED. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Subsection letter (j.) of Section 3 of Article I, Definition 
of Terms, of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 is herein 
amended to read as follows:  
“(j) Dangerous Drugs. – Include those listed in the Schedules 
annexed to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 
as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and in the Schedules 
annexed to the 1971 Single Convention on Psychotropic 
Substances as enumerated in the attached annex, BUT 
EXCLUDING CANNABIS AND CANNABIS RESIN 
AND EXTRACTS AND TINCTURES OF CANNABIS 
FROM SAID LISTS AND SCHEDULES, which is an 
integral part of this Act.” 
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Page 2 of 4 
 
SECTION 2. ARTICLE II, Section 11. of the Comprehensive 
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
“Section 11. Possession of Dangerous Drugs. – The penalty of 
life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from Five 
hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) to Ten million pesos 
(P10,000,000.00) shall be imposed upon any person, who, 
unless authorized by law, shall possess any dangerous drug 
in the following quantities, regardless of the degree of purity 
thereof: 
 
(1) 10 grams or more of opium; 
(2) 10 grams or more of morphine; 
(3) 10 grams or more of heroin; 
(4) 10 grams or more of cocaine or cocaine 
hydrochloride; 
(5) 
50 
grams 
or 
more 
of 
methamphetamine 
hydrochloride or "shabu";  
[(6) 10 grams or more of marijuana resin or marijuana 
resin oil;] 
[(7) 500 grams or more of marijuana; and] 
[(8)] (6) 10 grams or more of other dangerous drugs 
such 
as, 
but 
not 
limited 
to, 
methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDA) or "ecstasy", 
paramethoxyamphetamine 
(PMA), 
trimethoxyamphetamine (TMA), lysergic acid diethylamine 
(LSD), gamma hydroxyamphetamine (GHB), and those 
similarly designed or newly introduced drugs and their 
derivatives, without having any therapeutic value or if the 
quantity possessed is far beyond therapeutic requirements, 
as determined and promulgated by the Board in accordance 
to Section 93, Article XI of this Act. 
 


 
Page 3 of 4 
Otherwise, if the quantity involved is less than the 
foregoing quantities, the penalties shall be graduated as 
follows: 
 
(1) Life imprisonment and a fine ranging from Four 
hundred thousand pesos (P400,000.00) to Five hundred 
thousand 
pesos 
(P500,000.00), 
if 
the 
quantity 
of 
methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu" is ten (10) 
grams or more but less than fifty (50) grams; 
 
(2) Imprisonment of twenty (20) years and one (1) day 
to life imprisonment and a fine ranging from Four hundred 
thousand pesos (P400,000.00) to Five hundred thousand 
pesos (P500,000.00), if the quantities of dangerous drugs are 
five (5) grams or more but less than ten (10) grams of opium, 
morphine, heroin, cocaine or cocaine hydrochloride, 
[marijuana 
resin 
or 
marijuana 
resin 
oil], 
methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu", or other 
dangerous drugs such as, but not limited to, MDMA or 
"ecstasy", PMA, TMA, LSD, GHB, and those similarly 
designed or newly introduced drugs and their derivatives, 
without having any therapeutic value or if the quantity 
possessed is far beyond therapeutic requirements; [or three 
hundred (300) grams or more but less than five (hundred) 
500) grams of marijuana;] and 
 
(3) Imprisonment of twelve (12) years and one (1) day 
to twenty (20) years and a fine ranging from Three hundred 
thousand pesos (P300,000.00) to Four hundred thousand 
pesos (P400,000.00), if the quantities of dangerous drugs are 
less than five (5) grams of opium, morphine, heroin, cocaine 
or cocaine hydrochloride, [marijuana resin or marijuana 
resin oil], methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu", or 
other dangerous drugs such as, but not limited to, MDMA 
or "ecstasy", PMA, TMA, LSD, GHB, and those similarly 
designed or newly introduced drugs and their derivatives, 
without having any therapeutic value or if the quantity 


 
Page 4 of 4 
possessed is far beyond therapeutic requirements[;]. [or less 
than three hundred (300) grams of marijuana.]” 
 
SECTION 3. ARTICLE II, Section 16. of the Comprehensive 
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
“Section 16. Cultivation or Culture of Plants Classified as 
Dangerous Drugs or are Sources Thereof. – The penalty of life 
imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from Five 
hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) to Ten million pesos 
(P10,000,000.00) shall be imposed upon any person, who 
shall plant, cultivate or culture [marijuana,] opium poppy 
or any other plant regardless of quantity, which is or may 
hereafter be classified as a dangerous drug or as a source 
from which any dangerous drug may be manufactured or 
derived: Provided, That in the case of medical laboratories 
and medical research centers which cultivate or culture 
[marijuana,] opium poppy and other plants, or materials of 
such dangerous drugs for medical experiments and research 
purposes, or for the creation of new types of medicine, the 
Board 
shall 
prescribe 
the 
necessary 
implementing 
guidelines for the proper cultivation, culture, handling, 
experimentation and disposal of such plants and materials.” 
 
SECTION 4. Separability Clause. If any part of provision of this Act 
be considered as unconstitutional, the remaining parts not affected shall 
remain valid and in full effect.  
 
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, issuances, 
rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 6. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 
circulation. 
 
Approved,