Previous Story
‘Cannabis commission needs a full-time board’
|
Posted on Mar 18 2019
Commissioners of the CNMI Cannabis Commission would need to focus on their new jobs if they are to be effective in regulating what is being promoted as an emerging marijuana industry in the Commonwealth.
At least that’s how commissioner Nadine Deleon Guerrero sees it. She pointed out that, like her fellow Saipan representative Matt Deleon Guerrero, they expect a lot of trial and error when it comes to the new industry.
“A lot of this unknown [is because] nobody has done it before. So, what are we comparing it against? Nothing,” she said.
This is another reason, Nadine Deleon Guerrero said, why the commission is pushing for the commissioners to be fully compensated.
“So that we can fully focus on studying the industry, to see what works and what doesn’t. We can’t do that if we work part-time,” she added.
She pointed out that the commission has not yet been organized. “We are not yet organized right now, so our 180-day clock hasn’t even started ticking.”
“So, once we get sworn in and we hold our first organizational meeting—gather like an officiating body where we get to elect our officers—it is only there when the 180-day [provision] would start ticking.”
Based on the law, the commission must prescribe forms and adopt rules for the program within 180 days of their organizational meeting. Also, adults cannot start growing cannabis even without registering since the Homegrown Marijuana Registry has yet to be created.
Nadine Deleon Guerrero clarified that “it is still illegal to cultivate and use [cannabis].
“Until we take our oath and get organized, that is only when the [120] and 180-day clock would start ticking,” she added.
House Bill 21-13, introduced by House vice speaker Rep. Lorenzo I. Deleon Guerrero (R-Saipan) to would amend Public Law 20-66 or the Taulamwaar Sensible CNMI Cannabis Act of 2018, suggests increasing the 180-day provision to 360—basically one year.
“So, instead of having it six months, it will give us a whole year to get ourselves organized to promulgate the regulations,” said Nadine Deleon Guerrero. “But, personally, I don’t think it would take us a year. I think we only need a little bit of cushion of over six months.”
