Opposition to Marijuana Legalization Gets
High
Presidential son and
Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo says that he was quoted out of context when he
expressed support for the legalization of marijuana for medicinal
purposes. In Ifugao – a province seen to have illegal marijuana
plantations – various leaders oppose the legalization of marijuana, a
proposal that started from their own legislator.
BY JENN NANGLIHAN
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat
LAGAWE, Ifugao — In
this province located in the northern part of the Philippines, opposition
to the legalization of marijuana is getting high.
It may be recalled
that Ifugao Rep. Solomon Chungalao proposed the legalization of marijuana
(Cannabis sativa) for medicinal purposes. Marijuana is a drug which is
made from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant and which can be
smoked in cigarettes.
Chungalao argued that
poverty is the biggest reason Cordillerans engage in illegal marijuana
production, adding that most of those involved in the production and sale
of marijuana come from the poverty-stricken families in remote villages.
He dismissed claims that the bill would revive the marijuana industry,
stressing that the cultivation of marijuana would be confined to specific
areas identified by authorities coupled with stricter regulatory measures
to avoid possible negative effects.
However, Fr. Francis
Balakwit of the Lagawe-Bontoc Vicariate branded the proposal as a
“shameful bill” since “legalizing marijuana is not the answer to poverty.”
He said that the waning morality of the Ifugao people could be worsened if
such proposal pushes through.
For his part, Lagawe-based
Fr. Felix Bay-ong said, “The main solution (to poverty) is the provision
of livelihood in the communities which the government failed to provide.”
Economic opportunity?
Chungalao believes
that the income generated from the marijuana industry could be used to
construct road networks, among others, which prevent the farmers to bring
their products in the market.
“It also gives
government a break in its never-ending but seemingly hopeless campaign
against marijuana using taxpayers money,” he said. “Marijuana remains a
high-priced product because it is illegal. But once it becomes a legal
business, it will open up competition among producers, sellers and users
leading its price to decline.”
For her part, Rita
Dincog-Papey, technical advisor of the Third Elementary Education Project
(TEEP) of the Benguet and Ifugao Division, stressed the importance of
developing province’s rich reserves of medicinal plants as an alternative
to Chungalao’s proposal. She stressed that developing herbal plants for
pharmaceutical purposes can surpass the economic benefits that may be
derived from the production and sale of marijuana.
“Herbal plants abound
in the communities of Ifugao. Usage is generally accepted by the people
and its effectivity for medical purposes has already been proven,”
Dincog-Papey said. Northern Dispatch/Bulatlat
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