In 2014 Guam voters legalized the medical use of cannabis. Now, Governor Eddie Calvo (R) believes the island territory should take things a step further and begin looking at the legalization of cannabis for personal use.
“We’re talking about cutting what would be red tape and concerns about funding for required enforcement on the new marijuana legislation that became law” Governor Calvo said in a Faceook post made yesterday. “I want us to look at how states navigated into recreational marijuana; let’s figure it out and then tax the heck out of it and use those taxes to help fund our hospital, public safety and education.”
The idea of taxing “the heck out of it” probably isn’t the most appealing approach for cannabis consumers, who aren’t going to like the idea of ridiculously high taxes that will artificially inflate the price of cannabis. However, it’s very likely that the large majority of cannabis enthusiasts are willing to pay a higher price for cannabis (or at least a price that isn’t less than it is now, as legalization would undeniably due without massive tax rates) in exchange for the removal of the possibility of them going to jail for using it.
Although polling on cannabis law reform is nearly nonexistent in Guam a poll conducted earlier this year by Pacific Daily News found 80% to be in support; however the survey was conducted online with little safeguards in place to ensure accuracy, so its results can certainly be taken with a shake of a salt.
