Legislation to legalize recreational marijuana in Guam has now been sent from Adelup to the Legislature. Governor Eddie Calvo last week made it known of his intention to propose such legislation and this afternoon did just that.

Key provisions of the proposed Marijuana Control Act sets the legal age of consumption at 21, it creates Cannabis Control Board comprised of five members. Four of which are appointed by the Governor with advice and consent of the Legislature. Of these four, one will be from the farming industry while the second will be from the health or medicine filed, the third and fourth members would be from the public at large.

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Oregon this month passed the latest marijuana milestone: the end of recreational sales at medical marijuana dispensaries.

The big shift ends stopgap state permission for dispensaries to sell marijuana to anyone over 21 as regulators spent the past year and a half drafting rules for the new recreational market.

The transition comes with other significant changes: Recreational consumers can now buy more marijuana flower and will pay lower sales taxes on pot.

But they probably will find fewer places to buy marijuana - at least for a while -- as dispensaries make the switch.

Though the state is still home to 300 dispensaries, that number is expected to continue to drop as medical-only shops migrate to the larger recreational industry.

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[Press release] The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) launched We Are The Cannabis Industry, a campaign designed to tell the stories of real people who work in America’s legal marijuana industry and highlight how the emerging business sector is creating significant benefits for both individuals and the economy.

“Cannabis businesses generate billions of dollars in economic activity and support tens of thousands of jobs,” said Aaron Smith, NCIA executive director. “The people of the industry provide compassionate care for patients, responsible education for consumers, and cutting-edge innovation for quality and safety. We’re proud to tell their stories.”

The campaign’s cornerstone is an online site featuring a diverse cross-section of cannabis professionals whose expertise and personal experiences underpin a $7 billion industry.

The launch of the campaign also includes a D.C.-focused digital advertising buy, the first of its kind for the industry.

The first four profiles each highlight a specific aspect of the benefits of a legal, regulated cannabis industry.

• Scott Yoss works for a dispensary in Denver, where he focuses not just on sales, but on educating his customers about safe, responsible cannabis usage.
• Brian Eberhart is the assistant manager of a dispensary in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Marine Corps veteran who became addicted to opiate painkillers after a military training injury. He credits cannabis with helping him overcome his addiction, and the cannabis industry with giving him a new career path and opportunity for advancement.
• Shirlee McDaniels avoided opiates altogether after knee and hip replacement by treating her pain with medical cannabis. Now she works in a Denver dispensary and uses her experience to help other patients explore their options safely.
• Roger Schulz lost his long-time job with a plastics manufacturer in Ohio during the recession. He was unemployed for three years until he was connected with an Ohio-based advanced manufacturer that makes high-tech cannabis oil extraction machines and systems. Now he’s back to work, in an industry with huge economic vibrancy and growth potential.

New profiles will be posted to the site regularly in the coming weeks.

As California prepares for issuing licenses to sell marijuana for recreational use later this year, Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget includes $52.2 million for regulation of cannabis.

Voters approved the recreational use and sale of pot to non-medical customers in November, and Brown’s budget proposes merging that regulatory system with one approved by the Legislature in 2015 for medical marijuana.

“Implementing the current medical and recreational cannabis statutes separately will result in duplicative costs of an additional $25 million for a second track and trace system,” Brown’s budget says. "Additionally, a separate regulatory framework for each would lead to confusion among licensees and regulatory agencies, undermining consumer protection and public safety.”

Because cannabis sales licenses may not be issued until just before the end of this year, the 15% tax on retail sales is not going to be imposed until then, so the state has had to lend some money to the agency drafting regulations.

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