Due to federal uncertainty, Guam’s gubernatorial administration has pulled a bill that would have legalized adult cannabis possession and use in the U.S. territory from consideration, Pacific News Center reports. According to Eric Palacios, special assistant to Gov. Eddie Clavo, the move doesn’t necessarily mean the plan is dead but just temporarily on hold.
“We are suspending our efforts, and we are not terminating what we originally intended to do via the introduction of the bill,” Palacios said in the report. “And so, until we get a clearer picture of where things stand on the federal side, especially in light of the Attorney General’s pronouncement, we don’t feel it would be prudent moving forward.”
Palacios indicated that if the decision is made to permanently table the measure, lawmakers could consider introducing legislation to allow for home cultivation of medical cannabis – something Calvo would support.
According to the governor’s Communications Director Oyal Ngirairkl, the suspension “is meant to give lawmakers time to better understand the Trump administration’s still evolving stance on this and the result of actions other U.S. jurisdictions are taking.”
Under the legalization plan, sales taxes would have been used to help sustain Guam’s 2014 voter-approved medical cannabis regime, which has been stalled due to complications developing regulations.