This picture taken on June 9, 2017 shows Peter Crock, chief executive of Cann group limited, examining two-months-old cannabis cuttings at an undisclosed location in Australia's Victoria state. At a secret location in Australia's southeast, Peter Crock delicately tends to a two-month-old cannabis cutting. Barely 30 centimetres (12 inches) tall, it is one of about 50 government-sanctioned "mother plants" to be cloned for future generations of crops for the country's fledgling medicinal marijuana industry. / AFP PHOTO / Saeed KHAN / TO GO WITH Australia-social-health-cannabis-drugs, FOCUS by Daniel DE CARTERET (Photo credit should read SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday admitted she used medical marijuana for treatment of an ailment as she expressed support to the passage of a bill for medical use of the controversial weed.

She made the disclosure during a consultation and medical mission for the recipients of urban poor housing in Quezon City.

“Well, as you know, I am an author of that. I really believe in medical cannabis,” Arroyo said.

She related that when she was in another country which allows its use, she had a pain patch for her cervical spine ailment.

“As you know, I have my problem here (cervical spine) and when I’m in a country that allows it, I put a pain patch, but here in the Philippines I cannot do it,” she revealed.

The former Chief Executive said she authored the bill because it can help her and other people in need of cure. However, a lot of legislators are against its legalization.

“So, I authored that bill because I believe that it can help me and many other people, but there was a lot of objection to the bill from the House and from the Senate,” she said.

“That’s why we are just letting the legislative process take its course. Right now, it’s on second reading,” she added.

House Bill (HB) 6517 or the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act is currently being amended.

This aims to legalize and regulate the use of medical cannabis to benefit patients suffering from debilitating diseases.

It will authorize public and private researches entities to undertake research on the medical use of cannabis.

HB 6517 will also provide role delineations among participating government regulatory agencies and provide penalties for violations of the provisions of the measure.