CNMI Cannabis Commission reports flat collections, gaps in tracking and disposal procedures

Members of the House Committee on Cannabis heard an update from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Cannabis Commission on revenue, licensing and enforcement capacity and were told the commission lacks a fully implemented tracking system and formal procedures to document disposal of unsold product.

The committee, chaired by House Committee Chair Danita Kaipat Yantumay, heard that cannabis tax and licensing collections have been uneven and that the commission is pursuing a lower-cost, in-house alternative to an expensive commercial tracking system after joining the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANRA).

The commission’s managing director, Mickey Adevangelista, reported collection figures the commission has tracked: $170,662.68 in cannabis tax collections in fiscal 2022, $283,832.88 in fiscal 2023, and $169,110.42 for the first seven months of fiscal 2024 (October 2023–April 2024). Application and licensing fees reported were $53,492.50 in fiscal 2022, $118,350 in fiscal 2023 and $106,750 in fiscal 2024, the commission said. A Department of Finance certification as of Oct. 31, 2024, was reported by the commission for the special accounts; the commission reported $366,217.50 in the special account for application and license fees (15‑01B) and reported an amount for the cannabis tax account (15‑01S) as stated to the committee. After payroll and board compensation the commission…