In other parts of the world, like the Netherlands and, more recently, parts of the United States, marijuana (or weed, as most people call it) has been decriminalized and accepted as a legal recreational drug.
There’s an area in neighboring Thailand where weed has been — at least unofficially — decriminalized, and was the subject of a聽黑料社 TV聽聽documentary last year.
But in the Philippines, in the midst of a deadly drug war, weed has very serious consequences, as five students who were busted for it learned yesterday.
According to , police recovered over 200 grams of “high-grade” marijuana with an estimated value of PHP300,000 (US$6,000), which they found in the students’ possession.
“They call this locally, ‘gorilla.’ Because the kind of high you get will make you like a gorilla,” said聽Lucena City police chief Supt. Vicente Cabatingan.
Hmmm, maybe, but not exactly. , some strains are named after the taste and effect like “strawberry cough” or “sweet dreams.” Others might be named after a place like Panama Gold, or historical significance, like a strain named “sputnik.” Other strain names can be completely random.
But we’ll聽give Cabatingan a pass聽for his assumption.
A gram of marijuana nowadays, according to the police department, could cost anywhere from PHP1,500 (US$30) to PHP2,500 (US$50), depending on the demand.
Two of the students are 17 years old, while the other is 15. The police caught the students with the help of parishioners of a church that is linked to the private school they were attending.
They will be charged for violating the Dangerous Drugs Act. Selling marijuana can get someone a life sentence and a fine of PHP500,000 (US$10,000) to PHP10 million (US$200,000).
