Cannabis Commission gets $517,868, others $500K

Gov. Arnold I. Palacios has signed into law a bill that will appropriate $517,868 to the Commonwealth Cannabis Commission for its day-to-day operations in regulating the Commonwealth’s cannabis industry.

Palacios also signed into law a local bill that will appropriate $500,000 to different agencies, including the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. for its Health Network Program, or medical referral program.

The governor informed House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) and Senate President Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero (D-Saipan) that he signed House Bill No. 23-89, SD1, into Public Law No. 23-20, and House Local Bill No. 23-52, S1, D1, into Saipan Local Law No. 23-15.

Introduced by Rep. Diego Vincent F. Camacho (D-Saipan), House Bill No. 23-89, SD1 seeks to appropriate $517,868 to the Commonwealth Cannabis Commission for their operations/personnel.

The money was collected from different types of license fees and application fees assessed by the Commonwealth Cannabis Commission pursuant to 4 CMC Section 53036.

Introduced by Rep. Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan) and other representatives, House Local Bill No. 23-52, S1, D1 seeks to appropriate $500,000 from revenues collected from revenues of amusement licenses collected for Saipan pursuant to Public Law 20-59.

Of the $500,000 revenues, $200,000 will be appropriated to CHCC’s Health Network Program, $150,000 for the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture, $20,000 for the Northern Marianas Sports Association for the 10th Micronesian Games, and $65,000 for engines for the Department of Lands and Natural Resources.

For the remaining amount, $25,000 will be appropriated for upgrading Capitol Hill baseball field and other baseball fields on Saipan, $20,000 for the Commonwealth Cancer Association, and $20,000 for the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance.

Arnold I. Palacios