QUEZON CITY – Dr. Richard Nixon Gomez, scientist/inventor, on Monday divulged that another 15 to 20 lawmakers are in favor of legalizing medical cannabis.
It can be noted that among the proponents of the legalization of medical cannabis are former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chairman Congressman Ace Barbers and Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez, and Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla.
“We should legalize it (medical cannabis), the congressmen unanimously said last week,” Gomez said.
“With compassionate special permit (from FDA), no need to legalize medical cannabis,” he quoted the lawmakers as saying.
During the Media Health Forum in Quezon City, Gomez, the president and chief executive officer of Bauertek Corporation, said that he is now a member of the Technical Working Group in the Joint Committee on Health and the Committee on Dangerous Drugs of the House of Representatives in the 19th Congress.
Gomez, also the general manager of Bauertek Corporation, noted that during the joint congressional hearing at the House of Representatives last week, it was disclosed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that out of the more than 1,000 applicants after so many years, only one applicant was approved by the FDA for the importation of medical cannabis.
He added that a patient would need about P1.7 million per year for the importation of medical cannabis and no importer would be willing to do it with only one patient.
Gomez stressed that in the United States, the legalization of medical cannabis started in Sacramento, California with two hectares manufacturing facility. The legalization of medical cannabis is being done by City or by State.
“Mula sa pagtanim, hanggang sa pagharvest ng medical cannabis, Step 1 — simple which is the easiest or extraction of oil, pero Steps 2, 3,4 5, 6 cannot be done in Sacramento, California pero kayang gawin ng Bauertek ang Steps 2, 3, 4, 5 at 6,” he said.
Gomez added that “the multi-million-dollar facility in Sacramento cannot conduct Step 7 or culture of medical cannabis — ang pinakamahirap pero kayang gawin yun ng Bauertek.”
“Libo-libo o milyon-milyog kababayan natin ang ating matutulungan sa pamamagitan ng medical cannabis,” Gomez said.
“Kapag tinanggal ang THC, di na makaka-high ang medical cannabis at pwedeng ireseta ng ordinaryong doktor at di kailangan ng ‘S2 prescription’ dahil hindi siya nakaka-high o habit forming,” Gomez pointed out. – By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
