Many at hearing said yes to pot bill

A CNMI resident shares their opinion on cannabis regulation and legalization as members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Government and Law listen on Monday night at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center. (Erwin Encinares)

Many of those who attended Monday night’s public hearing on a bill to legalize and regulate the use of marijuana in the CNMI expressed overwhelming support for the bill.

Within an hour into the hearing at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center on Monday night, 13 members of the public voiced their support for Senate Bill 20-62, while only two were against.

A common denominator for those who supported the bill cited several health benefits of the plant, including claims that it alleviates the pain of cancer treatment and those with rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis; eases epileptic seizures, helps patients with post-traumatic stress disorder; slows the progression of Alzheimer’s, and more.

According to Laura Muña, the use of marijuana could hopefully alleviate her daughter’s pain from cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

“She had these chronic illnesses since she was 2 years old,” she said, adding that her daughter is currently taking five medicines twice a day.

Muña said her daughter experiences at least two seizures every day. Upon moving to the U.S. mainland with her daughter to seek medical attention from a neurosurgeon, Muña learned from magnetic resonance imaging scans, or MRI scans, and computerized tomography scans, or CT scans, that her daughter had cysts in her brain.

“The doctor said he could perform the surgery but it’s going to be risky for her because it is a 50/50 chance for survival,” she said, adding that she declined the surgeon’s offer to operate.

“I am hoping and praying for a miracle to come that will eliminate her pain and suffering,” said Muña. “I ask you for the support of this bill for the betterment of the ill.”

A U.S. Army veteran, Martin Ezra Teregeyo, who said he has served in Iraq twice, said at the public hearing that marijuana alleviates his PTSD. He claimed that it is only through smoking marijuana that he tempers his suicidal tendencies.

“I have been through a lot…but when I smoke that joint, it just makes me relax,” he said.

Dr. John Doyle, who supported the bill, emphasized the importance of regulating and enforcing the law. Since the plant is currently considered illegal, marijuana dealers do not have anything to enforce—no age limit or amount restrictions—both provisions that are embedded in Sen. Sixto Igisomar’s (R-Saipan) S.B. 20-62.

Kristo Rai Church pastor Rev. Fr. Ken Hezel opposed marijuana legalization, citing a study that links the plant to psychosis.

“… Teenage cannabis use hastens the onset of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals,” he said, reading from a research material. “I’m concerned for the youth; that is my main concern and how it affects the youth.”

About 50 people signed up for the public hearing last Monday.

Igisomar’s S.B. 20-62 is no longer just about medical marijuana; it seeks to legalize and regulate the use of cannabis in the CNMI. The bill consists of more than 50 pages. Although written as a bill, it is also somewhat akin to a popular initiative. If passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, it will then be presented to voters on the ballot in the 2018 election.