The former director of the Department of Public Health and Social Services is placing his support behind the Guam Cannabis Industry Act, the measure that legalizes marijuana for adult recreational use.

The bill passed the Legislature in late March and residents on both sides of the issue now await the governor's decision. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has until April 10 to decide.

Former Public Health Director James Gillan said he supports the measure because marijuana "is the least harmful" of available substances.

"Alcohol and tobacco kill thousands of people. Domestic violence, homicides, rioting, etc. (are) mostly alcohol-related. The gateway drug argument (against marijuana) is nonsense although there are those persons with addictive personalities," Gillan said.

Controlling THC content and other issues

However, Gillan does have concerns with the availability of high-potency Tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive constituent in cannabis, and adverse health effects from fungus, mold, pesticides and other issues that affect crops.

Establishing a laboratory on the island is imperative to regulate the quality of the marijuana being distributed, especially when using it as medicine, Gillan said. Spot checks for dispensaries also will need to be required.

"Verifiable THC levels need a lab to assure we aren’t producing the very potent cannabis that is available," he said.

Lab testing had been the proverbial thorn on the side of the medical marijuana industry, as well as Gillan's, despite the legalization of medical marijuana years earlier.

Limited medical market

The medical marijuana market is limited on Guam. Advocates have noted that widening the market through full legalization would better attract local and off-island entrepreneurs seeking to invest in a laboratory, according to Sen. Clynt Ridgell, who introduced the Cannabis Industry Act.

A separate bill was introduced to further remove barriers to laboratory testing, by eliminating a residency requirement for investors in a cannabis laboratory. That bill has been kicked back to committee but if the Cannabis Industry Act is enacted, Ridgell said, he will review if the companion measure is still necessary.

Marijuana sold under the Cannabis Industry Act will be tested and subjected to other regulations to ensure consumers are informed and protected, according to the legislation.

Gillan said he was told there is investment interest in a laboratory with legalized recreational marijuana, but he can't verify if it's true.

Regardless, he believes the government has to provide some incentive and he does not think "a lab would come if there aren't enough numbers."

"That’s why the adult use bill is important," Gillan said.

He also believes that local funding could be used to assist in procuring land, and tax credits for the lab should be considered.

If a lab is established, the Japanese patient market also could open up to Guam, Gillan added, although other countries also are considering medical marijuana, such as Thailand, he added.

Gillan said he is disappointed not enough money was allotted to Public Health for the medicinal program - specifically funding for a testing lab, a microbiologist, a quality assurance person and a clerk.

Notwithstanding his support, Gillan also said Guam should look at its tourism markets to see if adult recreational use would create a negative impact.

The Guam Visitors Bureau in the previous administration cautioned that recreational marijuana would drive family-oriented tourists away from Guam, and the new GVB leadership has urged the Legislature to wait for a study before legalizing recreational marijuana. The recently passed legislation requires the hiring of an entity to conduct an economic study 90 days after it becomes law.

Ten states have enacted recreational marijuana laws since 2012. Colorado was one of the first to enact such legislation.