The CNMI Cannabis Commission and the Office of the Attorney General are still doing research whether or not the interisland transport of marijuana in the CNMI is federally illegal or allowed. <\/p>\n
Cannabis commission managing director Monique Sablan told the Senate Committee on Cannabis and Gaming last week that they are currently talking with an OAG lawyer who is doing the research to figure out or provide them the necessary guidance on that issue.<\/p>\n
This was Sablan\u2019s response after Senate vice president Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) asked whether the commission has OAG\u2019s guidance on the issue since Tinian, Rota, and Saipan are surrounded by waters that are, to an extent, federally regulated.<\/p>\n
While the OAG is doing its research, the commission is also doing its own study, Sablan said. \u201cI believe Alaska has the same issue as we do. So we\u2019re trying to figure out how are other jurisdictions tackling this because, let\u2019s say Washington and Oregon, they\u2019re separated by land mass; they\u2019re separated by a border. Us, we\u2019re separated from Tinian and Rota by bodies of water that are federally regulated to an extent,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Sablan is hoping to be able to provide an update at their next Senate presentation. \u201cWe are also waiting. We are also consulting with Customs as well to see what their regulations are and I will give you a better answer, sooner or later,\u201d she told the senators. <\/p>\n
In her presentation before the Senate, Sablan said the commission has received 12 applications for commercial while 11 others have expressed interest.<\/p>\n
Committee chair Sen. Vinnie F. Sablan (Ind-Saipan) called the meeting to discuss matter relevant to the CNMI Cannabis Commission\u2019s operations. <\/p>\n
The enactment of Public Law 20-66, the \u201cTaulamwaar Sensible CNMI Cannabis Act of 2018,\u201d authorized personal, medicinal, and commercial use of cannabis or marijuana in the CNMI.<\/p>\n
Sen. Sixto K. Igisomar (R-Saipan), who was one of the main authors of the cannabis law, believes the commercial aspect of the new industry \u201cwill happen no matter what,\u201d so he encourages the Commission to give more focus on the law\u2019s medicinal aspect to help people who are suffering debilitating illnesses or have cancer. <\/p>\n
At the same Senate meeting, former House speaker Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, who is the special adviser for cannabis under the Office of the Governor, has revealed the many challenges facing the commission and the industry such as the importation of marijuana seeds. <\/p>\n
Deleon Guerrero said the Cannabis Act has provisions that are confusing and problematic. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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