Governor of Guam Signs Medical Cannabis Bill

Yesterday Eddie Calvo, governor of the U.S. territory of Guam, signed a bill that will assist in organizing and regulating medical cannabis. The bill instructs the Department of Revenue and Taxation to begin approving business licenses for cannabis dispensaries, cultivators, processors and labs, among other requirements.

Guam initially legalized medical cannabis use back in 2014, under the Joaquin “KC” Conception II Compassionate Cannabis Use Act of 2013. However with that Act, medical cannabis patients who are qualified to use cannabis were unable to legally obtain the medicine. This is because the government agencies had not yet solidified proper regulations to organize the program. Fortunately, the government has taken three long years to research and decide on the best course of action.

Thus Bill 69-34, also referred to as Public Law 34-24 now that it has been signed, was born. It will require the Department of Revenue and Taxation to spearhead the program through collecting fees and approving a variety of business licenses. The bill also specifies that in order to own and operate a medical cannabis business, owners must be a Guamanian resident for at least three years—and a large majority of approved license owners must be legal residents.

Additionally, the bill defines three major “types” of licenses up for grabs that will help label business correctly. Type 1 defines a 2,500 square-foot business in a single location, Type 2 defines a business between 2,501-5,000 square feet of canopy, and Type 3 defines any business that ranges between 5,001 and 10,000 square feet per location.

Guam is just one of many U.S. territories that are making waves in the medical cannabis industry. The country even attempted to move forward with a recreational cannabis program recently as well, proving that Guamanians, like many other states in the country, want to see cannabis legalized.