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Senators schedule follow-up after debate on aligning cannabis farming rules with general agriculture
Summary
Senators debated Bill 254-38, which would harmonize cannabis cultivation requirements with standard agricultural practices to reduce barriers for growers. Questions remained about whether the Department of Agriculture formally endorsed the change; the body recessed and will resume consideration with amendments the next day.
Senators debated Bill 254‑38, a proposal to align cannabis cultivation requirements with Guam's general agricultural practices, and recessed the floor to permit further consideration and amendment.
Sponsor Senator Sabrina Salis Matanani framed the bill as a common‑sense fix: "If cannabis is legal, why are we treating it differently from every other crop grown on Guam?" She said cannabis farmers face a separate, more burdensome rule set that has blocked market entry and that aligning rules with the Department of Agriculture would reduce unnecessary duplication while retaining cannabis‑specific pesticide controls.
Supporters and committee members argued that harmonization could lower compliance costs and encourage local farmers and small businesses to enter the market. Critics asked whether the Department of Agriculture had formally testified or endorsed the proposal; the sponsor and others clarified that the quoted Department of Agriculture remarks came from a 2020 Cannabis Control Board meeting where the agriculture director spoke in a personal capacity, and that DA did not submit written testimony for this committee hearing.
Several senators expressed a desire for clearer agency input and recommended amendments; the floor recessed and agreed to return at a later date to consider amendments and further testimony. The bill remains under active debate, and senators asked for formal DA participation and any technical amendments before final floor votes.
