Guam Appoints New Cannabis Officials But Still Awaits Business Applications

Guam’s government has so far appointed 11 “responsible officials” for the island’s new adult-use cannabis industry but nobody has yet submitted a business application to become a licensed cannabis operator, the Pacific Daily News reports.

Under Guam’s 2019 legalization law, cannabis businesses can’t receive a license or an operating permit unless they first get government approval for a responsible official in charge of the company.

The island’s Cannabis Control Board on Monday approved two such responsible official applications — one for Trisha Blas, who is set to oversee the first cannabis manufacturing facility on the island, Guahannabis LLC; and one for Eugene Arriola, a representative for The Heights Farm, which seeks to operate a 2,500 square-foot indoor cultivation site. A third application for Wang-Chieh “Ronald” Su for the Herbal World cannabis retail store was withdrawn, according to the report.

The board had previously approved nine responsible official applications including one in October for Shintaro Okada, who is set to oversee Pacific Analytical Services (which is poised to become the island’s first cannabis testing lab), the report said. Guam law requires adult-use cannabis products to be approved by a government-licensed testing lab before they can be sold to consumers.

Guam Department of Tax and Revenue representative Craig Camacho said during Monday’s meeting that the previously approved responsible officials had been briefed about the next steps for opening a licensed cannabis establishment but no one had formally submitted their applications, the report said.

“They have it, they’re working on their packet, but none of them actually submitted to the office for review or consideration at this time.” — Camacho, via Pacific Daily News

Guam’s legalization measure officially took effect earlier this year on May 29 and its first responsible officials were approved in September.