Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
After numerous public hearings, forums and meetings, Sen. Tina Muña- Barnes introduced two pieces of medical marijuana legislation during the first session of the post-election legislature on Tuesday. Bill 343-33 proposes several amendments to the original Joaquin ("KC") Concepcion II Compassionate Cannabis Use Act of 2013, including a change that requires a primary caregiver to be at least 21 years old. The original bill set the age restriction at 18. Bill 344-33 seeks to include home cultivation as an option for patients approved to use medicinal cannabis.
The bills and their author received heated debate from Sens. Jim Espaldon and Frank Blas who argued against certain provisions of the bills. Espaldon was cautious of the provision and advocated for a certain age limit, while Blas drew concern of the bill exempting the drug-free school zone law.
The bills were moved to the third reading file and according to Muña-Barnes, the senator is confident the bills will be ready to be voted on by Dec. 2.
If approved, the bills would require the governor's signature, or be allowed to lapse into law to finally be implemented.
Advocate
Medical cannabis advocate Andrea Pellacani of Grassroots Guam attended the session and spoke with the Post. "Federal law prohibits doctors from prescribing specific dosages for cannabis. They can, however, converse with their doctors to find out which variations of cannabis is medically acceptable for their ailments. I don't know if Sen. Espaldon knows," said Pellacani who addressed Espaldon's concerns.
In regards to Blas, Pellacani remarked that the medical needs of the ailing child who would be suffering from conditions of cancer would be allowable for a caregiver to administer the medicine to the patient.
Lisa Dames, a longtime legislative staffer and the mother of a 37-year-old man who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, told legislators during a public hearing that she did not believe Bill 343-33 was patient-focused. Dames said the requirement for an advisory board would hinder the ability of the Department of Public Health and Social Services to implement the program, because of delays in board appointments and other factors. She recommended deleting the provision altogether in favor of DPHSS performing the board's duties instead.
Two years later
Nearly two years have passed since voters approved Guam's medical marijuana law in a referendum. After an arduous rules creation and review process — which eventually saw the proposed rules scrapped — Bills 343 and 344 were introduced to answer community concerns with perceived lapses in the law. Their introduction was preempted by months' worth of public discussion on the rules, but as Dames and others testified yesterday, there are still changes that can be written into the bills' language.
With regard to Bill 344, Gillan said there was no discussion on how home cultivation will take place, the reasons for the need for home cultivation, penalties for having more than the allowable number of plants, and other issues. He added that landlords should have the exclusive right to prohibit home cultivation on their property. He said he also saw inconsistencies with Bill 343, having been adopted from the original medical marijuana law, but added that he would provide his own written testimony on this bill.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Legislators Consider Age Limit, Home Cultivation For Medical Marijuana Law
Author: Chris Wong
Contact: (671) 649-1924
Photo Credit: Paul Chinn
Website: The Guam Daily Post
The bills and their author received heated debate from Sens. Jim Espaldon and Frank Blas who argued against certain provisions of the bills. Espaldon was cautious of the provision and advocated for a certain age limit, while Blas drew concern of the bill exempting the drug-free school zone law.
The bills were moved to the third reading file and according to Muña-Barnes, the senator is confident the bills will be ready to be voted on by Dec. 2.
If approved, the bills would require the governor's signature, or be allowed to lapse into law to finally be implemented.
Advocate
Medical cannabis advocate Andrea Pellacani of Grassroots Guam attended the session and spoke with the Post. "Federal law prohibits doctors from prescribing specific dosages for cannabis. They can, however, converse with their doctors to find out which variations of cannabis is medically acceptable for their ailments. I don't know if Sen. Espaldon knows," said Pellacani who addressed Espaldon's concerns.
In regards to Blas, Pellacani remarked that the medical needs of the ailing child who would be suffering from conditions of cancer would be allowable for a caregiver to administer the medicine to the patient.
Lisa Dames, a longtime legislative staffer and the mother of a 37-year-old man who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, told legislators during a public hearing that she did not believe Bill 343-33 was patient-focused. Dames said the requirement for an advisory board would hinder the ability of the Department of Public Health and Social Services to implement the program, because of delays in board appointments and other factors. She recommended deleting the provision altogether in favor of DPHSS performing the board's duties instead.
Two years later
Nearly two years have passed since voters approved Guam's medical marijuana law in a referendum. After an arduous rules creation and review process — which eventually saw the proposed rules scrapped — Bills 343 and 344 were introduced to answer community concerns with perceived lapses in the law. Their introduction was preempted by months' worth of public discussion on the rules, but as Dames and others testified yesterday, there are still changes that can be written into the bills' language.
With regard to Bill 344, Gillan said there was no discussion on how home cultivation will take place, the reasons for the need for home cultivation, penalties for having more than the allowable number of plants, and other issues. He added that landlords should have the exclusive right to prohibit home cultivation on their property. He said he also saw inconsistencies with Bill 343, having been adopted from the original medical marijuana law, but added that he would provide his own written testimony on this bill.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Legislators Consider Age Limit, Home Cultivation For Medical Marijuana Law
Author: Chris Wong
Contact: (671) 649-1924
Photo Credit: Paul Chinn
Website: The Guam Daily Post
