SENATE, Pasay City — Citing various benefits from the use of medical cannabis, actor-turned-senator Robin 'Robinhood' Padilla is pushing anew for the legalization of marijuana in filing Senate Bill 2573, or the Cannabis Medicalization Act of the Philippines.

The proposed measure is still pending in the Senate plenary but Padilla argued that cannabis is the cheapest and most effective medicinal herb that the government can subsidize.

The former action star cited this is the first time that a bill on medical cannabis has reached the Senate floor.

“Sa matagal na panahon po lagi po itong umaabot ng third reading sa House pero pagdating po sa Senate hindi po ito tumatakbo. Siguro po dahil sa generation gap dahil matagal sa panahon na 'yung mga nakaupo din sa ating senador, sa atin pong mataas na Kapulungan ay medyo nakatatanda,” he pointed out.

“Ang mga nakaupo po ngayon na mga senador ay mas ka-edad po natin, mas naiintindihan na po nila kung ano ang benepisyo ng cannabis. Kaya po ngayon umabot na po kami sa interpellation,” he added.

The Muslim convert senator explained that enacting a law on medical cannabis will help patients, particularly children and their family, who have a difficult time acquiring it.

Padilla's argument was seconded by Dr. Shiksha Gallow, a cannabis clinician, who said now is the time for the Philippines to embrace medical cannabis.

“It’s time because patients need it, the science supports it,” Gallow noted.

According to the clinician, who administers medical cannabis to her patients, cannabis can be used for various conditions such as chronic pain, auto-immune inflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, insomnia, epilepsy, cancer, ADHD and autism.

“Thailand has opened up cannabis but now it’s time for the Philippines to give it a try. I believe Philippines can lead medical cannabis in Asia,” she stated even as she admitted, though, that cannabis is addictive.

Expert studies have shown that marijuana has an addictive rate of 7 percent but Gallow stressed that it is less addictive than caffeine which has an addictive rate of 9 percent, alcohol which is at 20 percent and nicotine at 30 percent.

“So why are we demonizing something that is less addictive than the cup of coffee on your table?” she queried incredulously.

Padilla insisted that if his bill does not get passed under the 19th Congress, he will refile it in the 20th.