Guam Regulators Prepare to Accept Adult-Use Cannabis Business License Applications

Guam legalized adult-use cannabis in 2019, and officials are ready to take the next steps in standing up the industry.

The Department of Revenue and Taxation will start accepting adult-use cannabis business license applications Aug. 29, according a Pacific Daily News report, although Dafne Mansapit Shimizu, the department’s director, said during a July 25 meeting of the Cannabis Control Board that officials “will not be able to entertain the licensing applications” by that date.

The board plans to hold another meeting before the applications go live, although a meeting date has not yet been set, Pacific Daily News reported.

Guam’s adult-use cannabis regulations took effect May 29, allowing adults to legally grow, possess and consume cannabis, although it remains illegal to sell until the commercial market launches, according to Pacific Daily News.

The island’s 2019 cannabis law mandates that regulators must begin accepting applications from cultivators, manufacturers, testing labs and dispensaries no more than 90 days after the rules took effect, which is Aug. 29.

Applicants must be “responsible officials” approved by the Cannabis Control Board and must be 21 years old, own or operate the business, and not be convicted of manufacturing  or distributing Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances, except for cannabis, Pacific Daily News reported.

There is a $1,000 fee to apply for “responsible official” status, according to the news outlet, and Guam’s rules prohibit one individual from owning or operating more than one type of cannabis business.

Applications must be approved by the Cannabis Control Board, and then to get a final permit to operate, businesses must submit site plans and floor plans for the facility, as well as obtain clearances from various agencies, including the Department of Public Works, Guam EPA, Guam Fire Department, Guam Waterworks Authority, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Health and Social Services, Pacific Daily News reported.

Then, after a final inspection by the Department of Revenue and Taxation, the licensed business will be able to launch operations.