Question & AnswerQ&A (Act No. 1761)
Opium includes every kind, class, and character of opium, whether crude, prepared, refuse, and all narcotic preparations of or from it, including all morphine or alkaloids of opium and all preparations containing opium, morphine, or any alkaloid of opium, together with all opium leaves and wrappings whether prepared for use or not.
Any Chinese person who habitually uses opium by smoking, chewing, swallowing, or injecting, or is addicted to its use, may apply for registration by a verified written application stating the quantity consumed daily.
A fine not exceeding five thousand pesos, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or both, in the court's discretion.
No, except when prescribed as medicine by a licensed and practicing physician, it is unlawful to consume opium without registration and certificate.
Opium may only be sold, transferred, given, or delivered to licensed physicians, pharmacists, second-class pharmacists, licensed opium dispensaries, or duly registered confirmed users in a licensed opium dispensary, except for government-authorized entities and hospitals on permit.
First class dispensaries operate 24 hours per day, second class up to 16 continuous hours, and third class up to 8 continuous hours per day.
A fine not exceeding five hundred pesos, imprisonment for up to one year, or both, and all unauthorized opium and paraphernalia are seized and forfeited to the government.
They must secure licenses and pay required license taxes and execute a bond of ten thousand pesos to ensure payment of internal-revenue taxes, compliance with the Act, and safe handling of opium.
Crude opium is taxed two pesos and fifty centavos per kilo; prepared opium seven pesos and fifty centavos per kilo, increasing monthly by 20% until March 1, 1908, when taxes rise to five pesos and fifteen pesos per kilo respectively.
It is unlawful to use these substances except by prescription of a licensed physician; unauthorized possession after March 1, 1908, is punishable by a fine up to ten thousand pesos, imprisonment up to five years, or both, plus possible deportation for non-citizens on second offense.