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Legalization of marijuana now ‘less controversial,’ bill claims
The legalization of marijuana is now a “less controversial” issue compared to a few years ago, now that Colorado and Washington have joined other states in approving marijuana for recreational use, according to the findings of a bill that seeks to legalize marijuana in the CNMI.
Currently, there are 24 states, including Guam, that have enacted laws to legalize marijuana, the new bill also states.
The move to allow the use of marijuana in the CNMI is hardly new and there have been several bills aimed to legalize its medicinal use in the CNMI, although none has so far prospered.
In 2012, a bill to legalize marijuana also pointed to potential revenues for the CNMI in addition to its medical benefits.
Senate Bill 19-06 was prefiled last week by Sen. Sixto K. Igisomar (R-Saipan).
The bill claims that “the CNMI must realize that the time has come to legalize the use and possession of marijuana strictly for medicinal purposes, and to remove any and all associated penalties pertaining to the medicinal use and medical prescription of marijuana.”
The new bill echoes previous claims that it will address the need for alternative treatment for patients suffering from debilitating illnesses such as cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous system, epilepsy, and post-traumatic stress syndrome, among others. The bill claims the medicinal use of marijuana can be an alternative to more costly medical treatments for sufferers of these diseases.
The bill provides for the creation of a Medicinal Marijuana Advisory Board, tasked to review medical cases that would benefit from marijuana and accept or review petitions to add medical conditions that qualify for the medicinal use of cannabis.
However, all penalties and provisions currently in place that prohibit the use and possession of marijuana without a prescription remain in full effect. (Joel Pinaroc)
