The coronavirus pandemic is delaying yet another cannabis program, this time in Guam, a U.S. island territory.
Just over one year ago, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero signed into law the Guam Cannabis Industry Act of 2019, a bill to legalize cannabis for adult use. The legislation allows adults who are 21 and older to grow six plants at home, and gives regulators one year to provide the framework for licenses and legal sales.
But the one year mark, the first week of April, came and went, without a word. The governor declared a public health emergency and suspended “non-essential” government activity on the island effective March 16 through May 6.
This includes the Cannabis Control Board created by the legalization bill. The Board “is responsible for regulating all who buy, sell, produce, possess, transport, or deliver any cannabis items within Guam,” according to its site.
That Board held more than a dozen meetings since the law’s passage in order to meet the deadline, but Michael Weakley, a staff assistant in the governor’s office, confirmed to Cannabis Wire that nothing will be released until after offices reopen.
As Cannabis Wire reported, coronavirus has led to legislative and regulatory delays, from Maine to Mexico.
