Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, and Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, said H.B. 17-47, which the House of Representatives passed last week, is not going to make it in the Senate.
Manglona said they will “kill” the bill and he hopes the House will come up with a better one.
Reyes said majority of the senators do not like how the bill is currently drafted.
However, he will recommend to the House, specifically to the author, Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, to revise the bill and make it for medicinal purposes only.
“I think that will be something the Senate can accept,” Reyes said, adding that he does not support the idea of legalizing marijuana if not for medicinal purposes only.
He said cancer patients can benefit from the medicinal use of marijuana.
He also wants to see strict regulations in place if medicinal marijuana will be legalized.
Reyes said there is a possibility that the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes will attract cancer patients from Korea, Japan and other countries.
But simply legalizing marijuana may result in more problems “than we can handle,” he added.
Torres wants to allow people at least 21 years old to posses, cultivate and transport marijuana for personal use.
His bill will also impose a tax on the commercial production and sale of marijuana.
