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With the effective date for the cannabis testing exemption in Guam law fast approaching, certain lawmakers are hoping to amend the law further so that the exemption only applies to cannabis flowers or buds, and not edibles or any other product.
Bill 336-37, introduced by Sen. Telo Taitague and five other lawmakers, proposes to do just that. A public hearing was held on the measure Friday afternoon, where lawmakers heard testimony supporting the measure. Only a couple of individuals appeared in person but Taitague, the main sponsor of the bill, said her office has received “quite a bit” of written testimony in favor of the proposal.
Public Law 37-116, enacted on July 22, authorizes the delivery, distribution or sale of cannabis to consumers or other cannabis businesses while there is no cannabis testing facility on Guam that is ISO 17024 accredited or certified by the Americans for Safe Access Patient Focused Certification Program.
Without this law, no cannabis product can be sold on Guam without first testing for potency and safety. However, there is no testing laboratory operating on island yet, which is why Sen. William Parkinson proposed the testing exemption earlier this year. Parkinson is also one of the co-sponsors of Bill 336.
But despite becoming law, the exemption included a 90-day waiting period, which should end Oct. 20.
There was some discussion about limiting the exemption to cannabis flowers and buds during the debate on the proposal in June, but that didn’t come to pass.
As it currently stands, without Bill 336 becoming law, the testing exemption will apply to all cannabis products, such as edibles, because “cannabis” has a broad definition under Guam law. The definition includes all parts of the cannabis plant, its seeds, resin extracted from the plant, and “every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the plant, its seeds or resin, including cannabis or marijuana concentrate.”
Jonathan Savares, an advocate for safe cannabis use, stated Friday that, based on his conversations with people, the cannabis industry has never had an issue with bypassing testing for flower. But he cautioned lawmakers against allowing cannabis edibles and concentrates on shelves without testing them first.
“If we look at every regulated market, as soon as they put edibles on the market, all those products are lab tested. … When we get into cannabis concentrates, … you can use butane, propane, ethanol, (carbon dioxide) to extract. Those things, when you don’t understand how to properly do that, or you don’t lab test things out, then this means the product that potentially goes on shelves could have residual chemicals and solvents remaining in that product,” Savares said.
“As a cannabis patient and advocate for safe consumption, … I don’t want anybody that I know to be consuming residual butane. I don’t want anybody that I know to consume any residual solvents that may be left,” Savares added.
He also read out written testimony from Shawn Salas, a prospective cannabis industry entrepreneur, who also supported Bill 336.
Theseus Mendiola, a small business owner who testified in person, also supported the measure.
In a press release issued after Friday’s hearing, Taitague stated that cannabis edibles need to be certified.
“Warning labels alone are not sufficient for ingestible substances. Cannabis edibles must be certified as being safe before we can allow their sale. The risk of contaminants in untested cannabis edibles is too great to allow. If our government permits a product to be sold, we must take steps to ensure that those products are safe. This is vital, especially regarding consumables,” Taitague stated in the release.
”}]] With the effective date for the cannabis testing exemption in Guam law fast approaching, certain lawmakers are hoping to amend the law further so that the exemption only applies to Read More