Cannabis in Guam

A 1996 report by the Guam Health Planning and Development Agency attributes the origin of marijuana usage in Guam to the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 1970s, when American servicemen on the island popularized the habit.{{cite book|author=Guam Health Planning and Development Agency|title=Guam Health Plan: 2001 and Beyond|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZPDaAAAAMAAJ|year=1996|publisher=The Agency|page=104}}

Guam v. Guerrero was a United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit ruling issued in 2002, which ruled that Benny Guerrero was not entitled to religious protections for his possession of cannabis on Guam despite his professed Rastafari religion. Guerrero was arrested for possession at Guam International Airport in 1991. His argument for religious exemption had been approved by a lower court, then by the Supreme Court of Guam which found it valid under the Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution of Guam; however, the Guamanian government raised the issue to the Ninth Circuit which ultimately struck down the lower findings.{{cite web|url=https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-9th-circuit/1355714.html |title=GUAM v. GUERRERO | FindLaw |publisher=Caselaw.findlaw.com |access-date=2015-07-15}}{{cite web|url=http://www.metnews.com/articles/guer052902.htm |title=Ninth Circuit Rejects Rastafarian's 'Religious Freedom' Defense to Charge of Marijuana Importation |publisher=Metnews.com |date=2002-05-29 |access-date=2015-07-15}}{{cite web|url=https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-asks-us-appeals-court-defer-guam-high-court-rastafarians-right-use-marijuana-religious |title=ACLU Asks U.S. Appeals Court to Defer to Guam High Court on Rastafarian's Right to Use Marijuana for Religious Purposes | American Civil Liberties Union |publisher=Aclu.org |date=2001-11-02 |access-date=2015-07-15}}

Guam legalized medical marijuana for "debilitative conditions" via referendum in the November 2014 mid-term elections, with 56% voting in favor.{{cite news|last=Ingraham |first=Christopher |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/04/medical-marijuana-advocates-notch-an-early-victory-in-guam/ |title=Medical marijuana advocates notch an early victory in Guam |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2014-11-04 |access-date=2015-07-15}}

Guam had previously attempted to legalize medical marijuana in 2010, under "Bill 420" (later withdrawn and replaced with Bill 423); its public hearing was attended by only one person, who spoke against the measure, and the bill was unsuccessful.{{cite web |author=Only one shows up for pot bill |url=http://mvguam.com/local/news/13221-only-one-shows-up-for-pot-bill.html#.VaZE-rfvgWE |title=Only one shows up for pot bill |publisher=Mvguam.com |date=2010-07-15 |access-date=2015-07-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715182329/http://mvguam.com/local/news/13221-only-one-shows-up-for-pot-bill.html#.VaZE-rfvgWE |archive-date=2015-07-15 |url-status=dead }}

In 2017, Guam's governor vetoed legislation to allow medical cannabis license holders to cultivate cannabis in their homes.{{cite web|url=http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/12/16/marijuana-home-cultivation-senators-raises-vetoed/95508146/ |title=Marijuana home cultivation, senators' raises vetoed |publisher=Guampdn.com |date=2016-12-16 |access-date=2017-01-14}}

In January 2017 governor Eddie Calvo proposed a bill, called the Marijuana Control Law, to legalize recreational cannabis in Guam.{{cite web|url=http://www.postguam.com/news/local/calvo-submits-marijuana-bill/article_5173e2c0-d700-11e6-a3d3-834690076b77.html |title=Calvo submits marijuana bill | Local News |publisher=postguam.com |date=2017-01-06 |access-date=2017-01-12}} In January 2019, governor Lou Leon Guerrero addressed possible recreational legalization in Guam, noting "We need to put in the same kinds of rules and regulations in terms of regulating alcohol, tobacco, and other substances so it won’t get abused."{{cite web|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/marijuana-prohibition-to-end/|title=Marijuana prohibition to end|date=4 February 2019|website=Saipan News, Headlines, Events, Ads - Saipan Tribune}}

In March 2019, the Legislature of Guam passed a bill (by a very close vote of 8–7) to legalize cannabis and immediately sent it to the Governor's desk.{{cite web|url=https://www.marijuanamoment.net/guam-becomes-first-u-s-territory-to-send-marijuana-legalization-to-governor-in-2019/|title=Guam Becomes First U.S. Territory To Send Marijuana Legalization To Governor In 2019|first=Kyle|last=Jaeger|date=27 March 2019}} On April 4, 2019, the Governor of Guam signed the bill allowing for full recreational legalization of cannabis.{{cite web|url=https://www.marijuanamoment.net/governor-signs-bill-legalizing-marijuana-in-guam/|title=Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Marijuana In Guam|first=Tom|last=Angell|date=4 April 2019}}

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{{USGovernment|url=https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs4/4001/marijuan.htm|title=Guam Drug Threat Assessment|agency=NDIC}}

{{Cannabis in the United States |state=expanded}}

{{Portal bar|Cannabis}}

{{Agriculture in the United States}}

Guam

Category:Society of Guam