According to a report in Huffington Post, the polls are closed and residents in Guam have voted to legalize medical marijuana, making Guam the first U.S. territory to legalize medical uses of the drug.
“Congratulations to the people of Guam for adopting a compassionate, commonsense medical marijuana policy," says Rachelle Yeung, legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project. "Patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions will now be able to obtain their medicine safely and without fear of being arrested."Guam is the first U.S. territory that will allow seriously ill residents to access medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it," continues Yeung. "We hope more U.S. territories will follow its lead. Public support for sensible medical marijuana laws is not only growing in the continental United States, but across the globe."The Guam Election commission had approved the act, introduced in November 2013, for a general election ballot, which has now been approved by voters.  The Joaquin “KC” Concepcion II Compassionate Cannabis Use Act of 2013 allows for "the beneficial use of medical cannabis in a regulated system for alleviating symptom caused by debilitating medical conditions and their medical treatments."
The act defines debilitating medical conditions as:
- cancer
- glaucoma
- multiple sclerosis
- damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
- epilepsy
- positive status for human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome
- post-traumatic stress disorder
- rheumatoid arthritis or similar chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorders or
-Â any other medical condition, medical treatment or disease as approved by the Department.
