BOE chair: We are against pot in any form

Lest they be misconstrued, Board of Education chair Herman Guerrero reiterated their position against the legalization of marijuana yesterday.

“We are against the legalization of marijuana in any such form. However, we see the popular support for medicinal marijuana, if not legalization of marijuana outright,” he said.

Because of this, if medicinal marijuana were to be legalized, there should be a “ban of five years” on the overall legalization of marijuana, he said.

Guerrero aimed to clarify any opinions out there that the board or the Public School System supports the legalization of marijuana under the condition of the moratorium.

As stated in their comments on Senate Bill 19-06, which seeks to legalize medicinal marijuana, PSS and the board urged for an amendment that would put a moratorium on full legalization of marijuana for five years from the passage of the bill.

“This way we can give medical marijuana a shot and see what effects it has on our islands,” Guerrero wrote, noting the already present problem of betel nut, cigarettes, and marijuana use.

The use of these substances is a “plague on our education system,” he wrote.

He also wrote his hope that if the bill were passed, that drug laws be enforced in the CNMI.

“It seems that pot is already de facto legal as there are no pot prosecutions and they are only incidental to other crimes.”

“I think that an increase in enforcement will go a long way with helping our students make the right choices,” he said.