A Position Paper on
Legalization of Marijuana in the Philippines
An output requirement in English Academic and
Professional Purposes
Submitted by:
Virgilio J. Dela Cruz -HUMSS 12-Ares
Submitted to:
Ms. Fiona S. Cabrera
Marijuana is a product derived from the cannabis plant, one of the oldest crops known to
humans.Marijuana is a psychoactive drug that contains close to 500 chemicals, including THC, a mindaltering compound that causes harmful health effects.Legalization of marijuana should not be legalized in
the Philippines because there are Filipinos that lack self discipline, there are other negative health effects
and there is lack of evidence for therapeutic benefits.
Marijuana should not be legalized in the Philippines because there are Filipinos that lack of self
discipline. Another reason why Filipinos do not take discipline seriously is because they do not see how
serious it is. How would they when even government officials themselves do not follow the rules they
have implemented? Under the table transactions; vote buying; VIP treatments in public activities and
processes are just among of the rampant forms of corruption in the government that remove the power of
discipline in the society. Some law enforcers are not being good role models too: Traffic enforcers getting
paid to let go of violators; and police officers involved in crimes like kidnapping and drug trafficking.
People do not see the need of following rules or even taking the initiative to make some progressive
moves, because they know nothing would happen when the movement does not come from the top.
(Abello, 2015)
Marijuana should not be legalized in Philippines because marijuana had other negative health
effects.According to Samuel Wilkinson(2015)there are lots of Negative Health Effects Substantial
evidence exists suggesting that marijuana is harmful to the respiratory system. It is associated with
symptoms of obstruoctive and inflammatory lung disease, an increased risk of lung cancer, and it is
suspected to be associated with reduced pulmonary function in heavy users. Further, its use has been
associated with harmful effects to other organ systems, including the reproductive, gastrointestinal, and
immunologic systems.
Marijuana should not be legalized in Philippines because marijuana had other negative health
effects. According to Wilkinson(2015)In the United States, commercially available drugs are subject to
rigorous clinical trials to evaluate safety and efficacy. Data appraising the effectiveness of marijuana in
conditions such as HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, and chemotherapy-associated vomiting is limited and often only
anecdotal. To date, there has been only one randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trial
evaluating the efficacy of smoked marijuana for any of its potential indications, which showed that
marijuana was superior to placebo but inferior to Ondansetron in treating nausea. Recent reviews by the
Cochrane Collaboration find insufficient evidence to support the use of smoked marijuana for a number
of potential indications, including pain related to rheumatoid arthritis, dementia, ataxia or tremor in
multiple sclerosis, and cachexia and other symptoms in HIV/AIDS. This does not mean, of course, that
components of marijuana do not have potential therapeutic effects to alleviate onerous symptoms of these
diseases; but, given the unfavorable side effect profile of marijuana, the evidence to justify use in these
conditions is still lacking.
In a conclusion Marijuana should not legalized in the Philippines because it has been linked to a
number of health risks, including mental health issues, addiction, and respiratory problems. It can also
lead to impaired judgment and decision-making, which can lead to dangerous behaviors. Additionally,
marijuana use has been linked to an increase in crime and violence. The potential risks of legalizing
marijuana in the Philippines far outweigh any potential benefits.