Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan) pre-filed late Friday afternoon a bill seeking to legalize marijuana only for medicinal purpose-nine months after the Senate killed a bill legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medical uses. In an interview, Torres said he hopes there will be stronger support this time around from House and Senate members, considering that his bill focuses only on medicinal marijuana. Most lawmakers asked yesterday, including Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) and Rep. Trenton Conner (R-Tinian) said they would want to see a copy of Torres' bill first before making a statement whether or not they will support the new bill. [continues 471 words]
Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan) introduced on the House floor yesterday a bill seeking to legalize marijuana use in the CNMI for medical and recreational use, barely four months since the Senate killed his previous proposal of the same nature. "The legalization, regulation, and taxation of cannabis in the Commonwealth will be the best marijuana law in America," Torres said in a privilege speech at the House session. Torres said he "candidly admit[s]" that his primary reason for introducing the bill is to tax and regulate marijuana transactions in the CNMI, which is in dire financial need. [continues 585 words]
If and when Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind.-Saipan) introduces a medical marijuana bill in the House of Representatives, the Senate can be expected to once again vote it down, according to Senate President Paul Manglona. More than a week after the upper chamber voted no to the controversial bill decriminalizing cannabis use for all purposes in the CNMI, Manglona continues to be adamant in his opposition to the schedule 1 drug-even if its use is limited for medicinal purposes only. [continues 288 words]
Legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes sounds like a great idea but has anyone thought about how it would actually work here? (Would we become the Commonwealth of the Marijuana Islands?) Where will the plots of land set aside to grow medicinal marijuana be located? There isn't any part of the islands-except perhaps the northern ones-that is remote enough, secluded enough, difficult enough to get to, to be safe from constant thievery. Electric fences would not be enough, barbed wire would not be enough, to keep anyone from stealing the plants allegedly being grown for medicinal purposes. [continues 181 words]
Whether or not one believes marijuana is harmful-or less harmful than tobacco or alcohol-is one thing. Asking people to believe that marijuana is the solution to the CNMI's collapsing economy is quite another. Part 3 of the series of articles appearing under Rep. Stanley T. Torres' name on "why we should" legalize marijuana-and one wonders who actually wrote the series-would have you believe that the answer to all the CNMI's problems would be solved if marijuana possession were made legal. [continues 422 words]
Senators are set to act today on a House measure legalizing marijuana use in the CNMI for all purposes, but a lawyer is urging senators to investigate and research the issues "before taking action on this bill based on uninformed rhetoric and emotion." Attorney Jeanne Rayphand, in a Nov. 15 letter to senators, said she has not found any support for the assertion that the CNMI will lose millions in federal grants should House Bill 17-47, House Substitute 1 is enacted into law, or that the children will be more at risk. [continues 593 words]
The Senate rejected yesterday a controversial House bill that seeks to legalize marijuana in the CNMI for medical and recreational use, but the bill's author said he plans to introduce a separate "medical marijuana" legislation. House Bill 17-47 was killed on a 7-0 vote during a Senate session held at the Northern Marianas College campus on Rota yesterday afternoon. Sen. Luis Crisostimo (D-Saipan), who supports marijuana use for medical purpose, abstained from voting. Sen. Henry San Nicolas (Cov-Tinian) was the only one absent among nine senators. [continues 740 words]
The ongoing debate over the legalization and/or decriminalization of marijuana is perhaps the best, most recent illustration of our society's vast undercurrent of bureaucratic hypocrisy. I for one am relieved to see that at least one local politician has the coconuts to put the issue on the table and dare to suggest that people have the right to "cultivate, possess, and transport marijuana for personal use" bar none. Putting aside the cash crop, revenue implications and the sheer madness of vilifying marijuana while we openly celebrate and promote the distribution of tobacco and alcohol, the idea of criminalizing the existence and use of a natural herb is simply absurd. Why should people have to go to jail for cultivating anything as common as a weed? You see, contrary to popular sentiments, the primary issue at stake is personal freedom-we're talking about a person's ability to put a seed in the ground and grow a plant, not some contrived weapon of mass destruction. The next thing they'll be telling us is that our traditional, herbal medicines are morally wrong-they too are mostly harvested from plants that grow in our soil. You see, cultivation of medicinal herbs and other plants is an inherent right and a way of life for most islanders.some of us still believe in the natural healing powers of Mother Nature. [continues 716 words]
Sen. Luis Crisostimo (D-Saipan) said he will either propose a substitute bill to Rep. Stanley Torres' proposal to legalize marijuana for all purposes, or introduce a new bill that will only allow marijuana for medicinal purposes. But other senators still want to kill the bill during Friday's session on Rota. Torres (Ind-Saipan), at the same time, said yesterday that if the Senate rejects his bill, he will introduce a new one that proposes to legalize marijuana only for medicinal use. [continues 318 words]
Kudos to Stanley Torres for having the integrity and courage to stand up and point out the utter folly of marijuana prohibition, which was foisted on Saipan and the rest of the world by overzealous American bureaucrats. To anyone who genuinely believes that prohibiting marijuana is an effective way to keep it away from teens, have a look at the U.S. government's own data for (illegal) marijuana and (legal) tobacco. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the percentage of 12th-graders who said they used marijuana in the last year has fluctuated wildly between 20 percent and 50 percent, with a figure of 32.8 percent for 2009. [continues 106 words]
People need to remember that marijuana prohibition was passed on the basis of racist fictions and claims of ultra violence. "Marijuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others."-Federal Bureau of Narcotics director Harry J. Anslinger. [continues 105 words]
Pass pot bill and lose funding? Who has any faith that our government can manage and control marijuana? We don't have the resources and the organization. Think of our kids. How many are using it for other than medical? Del Benson, San Antonio [end]
Last of a Three-Part Series In the past two days, we have looked at two of the three main reasons we should seriously consider the case for legalizing adult marijuana possession, use, sales, exports and farming. First, we looked at the constitutionally guaranteed inalienable right to liberty and personal freedom and the unconstitutional power-grab by the federal government that imposes an uneasy prohibition today. Yesterday, we noted that the legalization of pot does not cause crime to increase and instead, legalizing it reduces crime and stops the funding of terrorists and criminals. [continues 1032 words]
A bill legalizing, regulating, and taxing marijuana use for medicinal and other purposes in the CNMI passed the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, adding to a list of revenue-generating bills pending in the 17th Legislature. Rep. Stanley Torres' (Ind-Saipan) House Bill 17-45 passed on a 10-7 vote with one abstention from Rep. Ray Basa (Cov-Saipan). Two others-Reps. Ray Palacios (Cov-Saipan) and Rep. Ray Tebuteb (R-Saipan)-were absent. Torres' bill allows people at least 21 years old to "possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use." [continues 628 words]
Senate Poised to Kill Pot Bill Soon Gov. Benigno R. Fitial may sign into law a marijuana bill should it come to his table, but only if the intent is to legalize it only for medicinal use. Just the same, the governor is not optimistic that the bill will pass the Senate. And the governor's right-the Senate is poised to defeat it next week. Senate President Paul Manglona (R-Rota) said yesterday that the Senate will disapprove the marijuana legalization bill in its session next week. [continues 191 words]
Second Part of a Series Yesterday we learned that the case for legalizing marijuana has three main components. In the first section of this article we found that we citizens have constitutionally granted inalienable right to liberty and personal freedom and that the government cannot legally take authority not specifically granted to it. But they have done so illegally. Today we will take a look at some common misconceptions about crime and usage in areas where pot is or was perfectly legal. We will discover that the legalization of pot does not cause crime to increase; in fact it is the exact opposite, legalizing it reduces crime and stops funding terrorists and criminals. [continues 1083 words]
Dear legislators, I am quite disappointed in our representatives who voted to pass the marijuana bill. It seemed that you don't care about the future of the CNMI most especially our kids. What the heck is wrong with you people? You'd rather see this teeny-weeny tax from the marijuana bill and throw away those huge amount of federal funds earmarked for those critical departments. Here we are teaching our kids that drugs are a "no-no" but what you've just done is open up a can of bad worms. [continues 94 words]
With working relationships between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the CNMI government at an all-time low, the government is forced to depend on a new crime laboratory in Guam for tests on suspected methamphetamine or "ice," resulting in delays in obtaining test results. This delay resulted in the dismissal without prejudice of "ice" trafficking charges against Yuhua Wang and Le Xiang Chen, according to Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja. Dismissal without prejudice means the prosecution can re-open the case in the future. [continues 279 words]
The House Natural Resources Committee recommends killing a bill seeking to legalize marijuana for all uses in the Commonwealth. Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan), author of House Bill 17-47, said yesterday he is disappointed that the committee decided to recommend filing his bill. "I believe my bill still has a silent majority support. But I am going to reintroduce it in the form of a legislative initiative, to directly ask people about it," Torres said. He said his office now has a draft legislative initiative to legalize marijuana for medicinal and all other uses in the CNMI. But Torres said he may not be able to pre-file the initiative in time for today's session. [continues 235 words]
Looking to bring local readership a premier magazine designed to have "something for everyone" by providing compelling and diverse articles, spectacular photography, and exciting, vibrant advertisements presented in a visually appealing layout, Ed Propst-publisher of MP magazine-announces that the September-October issue of the magazine is now on sale at numerous locations throughout Saipan and on Tinian. Propst admits that the company made a mistake in limiting distribution points for its first issue, the one for July-Augus. But the publishing company, Titan Media Group, has remedied that with the magazine now being sold in over a dozen locations, including Joeten stores, Price-Costco, Java Joe's, Kagman Market, Tun Kiku's Market, NMC bookstore, and Fleming's on Tinian. [continues 242 words]
