Committee members are dragging their feet to step forward with the program.
During a public hearing on a bill to legalize marijuana, the Legislature’s Committee heard that “The government needed more time, they weren’t prepared”
This is not what local businessman Marcus Cepeda wanted to hear after spending several weeks preparing to apply for a cultivation license. After weeks of research and meetings to develop his business plan Cepeda said “All the work I did has pretty much gone down the drain.”
This isn’t the first delay in Guam’s program, voters originally approved the act in November 2014, lawmakers officially passed the implementation of the program in December but more red tape and hurdles have added to the lengthy process.
James Gillan from the Department of Public Health and Social Services states
“The problem with this law is that it really is probably the most illogical piece of legislation I’ve ever read, one part states we have to start accepting applications and another that regulations have to be in place. You can’t have both at the same time.”
Applications should have been accepted within 30 days of enactment, although the Medical Cannabis Regulation Committee was required to be created and as several members had failed to respond to the meeting requests from Gillan the committee as such is not in action.
As the committee needed to approve standards for examining Guam’s medicinal cannabis, they also are required to set the laboratory testing.
“there really can’t be anyone who is really seriously thinking about business licenses until there is a certified laboratory, people have enquired but no applications have been received because there are no rules or regulations.”
While he stated that he is in support of marijuana as a medicine, he also wants to ensure that it is done in a way where no lawsuits are in place.
Gillan hopes to have the board to finally meet in the middle of May.
By MJ – Weed World
