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Island residents will have to wait until next week to find out whether the question to legalize marijuana will make it to the election ballot. The Guam Election Commission last night was expected to decide whether it would move forward with the question. But the decision was postponed until March 6 to give GEC attorney Jeffrey Cook time to read opposing opinions provided by the Legislature's legal counsel. While officials continue to argue the legality of placing the question on the ballot via legislative submission, residents like Marinalyn Hale hope voters get the opportunity to decide.
The 29-year-old Merizo resident hopes medicinal marijuana will provide some relief from her systemic lupus and post traumatic stress disorder. Both diseases would qualify Hale to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Hale, a veteran who served in three tours as a Navy corpsman -- once to Kuwait and twice to Iraq -- was diagnosed with lupus at age 20 and said she suffers daily. Systemic lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. It can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, brain and other organs. Hale said she often has pains in her joints, has headaches, and if she catches a cold it could send her to the hospital with excruciating pain. She takes several medications daily like Tylenol and steroids to help control the symptoms, but those medicines sometimes leave her feeling worse.
Hoping for relief
Hale said she wants to be able to play with her 9-year-old son, but being in the sun is painful. "I want to interact with him every day because I've been told that there's no cure for what I have," she said. "So I have to take every day and live to the fullest. And some days I feel that I don't." She's hoping medical marijuana can help get her to a place where she can play in the sun, where she doesn't have to constantly count pills or rush to the emergency room because she can't function.
Hale hasn't personally tried medicinal marijuana, but said it seemed to help her friend Joaquin "KC" Concepcion, which the bill is named after. Hale said Concepcion, a well-known local musician, was strong and was full of life until cancer drained him. After moving to the mainland for his cancer treatment, he was able to get medicinal marijuana. Hale said she saw her old friend return. "He was going outside and he was playing with my goddaughter," she said. "He was seen walking her to school, laughing, making music again. Music from his heart that touches people's soul." She added her hope that leaders allowed the voters an opportunity to weigh in on the issue at the election booth.
Opposing opinions
Bill 215, which the governor allowed to lapse into law, sets some parameters for the use of medicinal marijuana on Guam. However, it leaves the legalization of medicinal marijuana up to the voters. GEC attorney Jeffrey Cook has said the issue can't be brought to voters using legislative submission. He opined that the Organic Act only explicitly mentions a voter referendum or initiative as vehicles through which voters can determine laws.
The authors of Bill 215, Sen. Tina Muna Barnes, D-Mangilao, and Sen. Aline Yamashita, R-Tamuning, said local law allows senators to bring certain questions to voters via legislative submission. Opinions from legislative legal counsels were submitted to the commission yesterday afternoon. Cook said he would like some time to review the opinions and come back to the commission with his analysis. He did suggest commissioners ask senators to ask the court for clarification.
Republican commission member Martha Ruth made a motion to accept Cook's opinion and suggestion, but was unable to get the necessary votes to move forward. Vice Chairwoman Alice Taijeron, a Democrat, said she was concerned that the commission has ministerial duties to follow local law and questioned whether it had the right to question the law. Cook reassured members that it would be best to make sure what they are doing is legal under the Organic Act.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Guampdn.com
Author: Jerick Sablan
Contact: Contact Us | Pacific Daily News | guampdn.com
Website: Pot decision delayed | Pacific Daily News | guampdn.com
The 29-year-old Merizo resident hopes medicinal marijuana will provide some relief from her systemic lupus and post traumatic stress disorder. Both diseases would qualify Hale to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Hale, a veteran who served in three tours as a Navy corpsman -- once to Kuwait and twice to Iraq -- was diagnosed with lupus at age 20 and said she suffers daily. Systemic lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. It can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, brain and other organs. Hale said she often has pains in her joints, has headaches, and if she catches a cold it could send her to the hospital with excruciating pain. She takes several medications daily like Tylenol and steroids to help control the symptoms, but those medicines sometimes leave her feeling worse.
Hoping for relief
Hale said she wants to be able to play with her 9-year-old son, but being in the sun is painful. "I want to interact with him every day because I've been told that there's no cure for what I have," she said. "So I have to take every day and live to the fullest. And some days I feel that I don't." She's hoping medical marijuana can help get her to a place where she can play in the sun, where she doesn't have to constantly count pills or rush to the emergency room because she can't function.
Hale hasn't personally tried medicinal marijuana, but said it seemed to help her friend Joaquin "KC" Concepcion, which the bill is named after. Hale said Concepcion, a well-known local musician, was strong and was full of life until cancer drained him. After moving to the mainland for his cancer treatment, he was able to get medicinal marijuana. Hale said she saw her old friend return. "He was going outside and he was playing with my goddaughter," she said. "He was seen walking her to school, laughing, making music again. Music from his heart that touches people's soul." She added her hope that leaders allowed the voters an opportunity to weigh in on the issue at the election booth.
Opposing opinions
Bill 215, which the governor allowed to lapse into law, sets some parameters for the use of medicinal marijuana on Guam. However, it leaves the legalization of medicinal marijuana up to the voters. GEC attorney Jeffrey Cook has said the issue can't be brought to voters using legislative submission. He opined that the Organic Act only explicitly mentions a voter referendum or initiative as vehicles through which voters can determine laws.
The authors of Bill 215, Sen. Tina Muna Barnes, D-Mangilao, and Sen. Aline Yamashita, R-Tamuning, said local law allows senators to bring certain questions to voters via legislative submission. Opinions from legislative legal counsels were submitted to the commission yesterday afternoon. Cook said he would like some time to review the opinions and come back to the commission with his analysis. He did suggest commissioners ask senators to ask the court for clarification.
Republican commission member Martha Ruth made a motion to accept Cook's opinion and suggestion, but was unable to get the necessary votes to move forward. Vice Chairwoman Alice Taijeron, a Democrat, said she was concerned that the commission has ministerial duties to follow local law and questioned whether it had the right to question the law. Cook reassured members that it would be best to make sure what they are doing is legal under the Organic Act.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Guampdn.com
Author: Jerick Sablan
Contact: Contact Us | Pacific Daily News | guampdn.com
Website: Pot decision delayed | Pacific Daily News | guampdn.com
