AGENTS of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) are closely partnering anew in launching their stepped-up ‘summer offensive’ versus all identified marijuana plantation sides in Cordillera region and other parts of the country where the prohibited crops abundantly grows, the Journal Group learned yesterday.

PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. and PDEA chair, Director General Moro Virgilio M. Lazo agreed their united stand against marijuana cultivation is a key in arresting the presence of the banned crops which last year dislodged shabu as the most abused illegal drug in the country.

The two said different law enforcement agencies need to partner with each other in order to cut off clandestine production of cannabis in Cordillera region and other parts of Mindanao and Visayas regions. \

Gen. Azurin has ordered the PNP Drug Enforcement Group headed by Brigadier Gen. Narciso D. Domingo and the Cordillera Police Regional Office under Brig. Gen. David K. Peredo to intensify their ‘summer offensive’ versus secret marijuana plantation sites in the country, specifically those located in the Cordillera region which remains the top producer of cannabis being sold in The Philippines.

The PNP-DEG, in coordination with the Cordillera police force, PDEA and the Armed Forces, is leading a crackdown against marijuana sites in the region to prevent their transport to Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

Since last year, the Cordillera police force and PNP-DEG have partnered to make a huge stride in the campaign, uprooting and burning over P1 billion worth of fully-grown marijuana plants and seedlings as well as cannabis bricks and marijuana oil.

The prohibited crops were discovered in different plantation sites in Kibungan, Benguet and Tinglayan, Kalinga.

Brig. Gen. Domingo said their ongoing ‘search-and destroy’ operations against marijuana plantations in the region is now being conducted with a new strategy: applying herbicide on the cannabis sites to prevent the crops from multiplying anew.

Production of marijuana is a major offense in the country. Section 16 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 which refers to the ‘cultivation of marijuana, opium poppy and other plants classified as dangerous drugs or are sources thereof—says that violators of the law will get the penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of as much as P10 million upon conviction.

In 2022, the PDEA cited the seizure of huge bulk of dried marijuana leaves in the country as the reason why they are unafraid to claim that locally-grown cannabis has dislodged shabu or the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ as the top favorite of Filipino addicts.

“Marijuana is now the dominant drug in the country as shown by the massive volume seizures in 2021 and the survey result of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) in 2019,” said the PDEA leadership.

According to the PDEA, illegal hemp got the lion’s share by registering 83 percent of the reported total bulk weight of drug seizures in 2021, and coming as a distant 2nd is shabu at 17 percent..

There is also a previous DDB survey which showed that marijuana is the most commonly abused dangerous drug with 37 percent of those interviewed claiming to have smoked the illegal weed followed by shabu with 35 percent.

In 2021, more than 11 tons of marijuana were confiscated — one of the highest consolidated volumes of marijuana seizure ever recorded. The cannabis plants were uprooted and destroyed mainly in secret cannabis plantations by members of the PDEA and the Cordillera police force.

“This may indicate two things: interception and enforcement efforts are efficient; and cannabis cultivators and distributors are ramping up their drug trafficking activities to meet surging demand,” the PDEA said. \

One of the attributing factors why marijuana rose to the top spot is because of the persistent demand for the use of the controlled plant even amid the pandemic.

Majority of the marijuana users belonging to the younger generation do not perceive the drug as harmful but rather beneficial, placing them at greater risk associated with its chronic use, the Agency explained.

“There is a growing acceptance in the marijuana drug business, and it is prudent to come up with an assessment that the supply is abundant because its demand in the market is high. When the supply is higher, the chances of detection is also higher as manifested by the high-volume marijuana confiscation by authorities,” it added.

Marijuana plant thrives in high altitude and mountainous areas of the country, and remains to be the only illegal drug locally produced for domestic consumption. Majority of the marijuana plantation sites eradicated can be found in the tri-boundaries of Ilocos Sur, La Union and Benguet.

The ease of cultivating marijuana is critical for this drug to thrive in the illegal drug trade, the PDEA said.

Unlike shabu, marijuana does not require precursors, huge labor and technical expertise. Instead, cultivators need seeds and plantation sites.

Marijuana growers can leave their fields only to return during harvest time.

On the other hand, some reports indicated that local marijuana cultivators are exporting premium-grade marijuana to other neighboring countries. This bold move is likely to boost sales and expand new markets.

The lack of alternative means of earning a living remains one of the chief reasons why local farmers opted to cultivate marijuana. They receive much more income compared to growing other legal crops.

The increase in seizures and arrests of drug personalities related to marijuana have increased coincidentally with the easing of enforcement and regulation on the marijuana production, distribution and use by other countries, particularly in the United States and Europe.

In the local setting, the situation abroad influences local growers to ramp up their marijuana production.

The domestic supply of synthetic drugs like shabu and ecstasy are sourced abroad which implies the effectiveness of the government’s supply-reduction measures, the PDEA said.

Only marijuana cultivation remains to flourish considering the very high incentive that cultivators get and the difficulty in fully detecting the plantation sites,” it added.

“There is no ground for complacency. Although shabu is no longer the preferred drug of use, it is still considered a top drug of concern due to its more damaging effect on the minds and lives of its users, and is more profitable to drug players,” the PDEA explained.

“Now that marijuana is the top choice of users, we should exert more effort in advocacy-centered strategies down to the grassroots level to dispel the misconception that the plant is harmless, especially among the younger generation,” the Agency added.