Cannabis rules draw fire

Guam’s recreational cannabis industry could lose to the black market unless the government allows residents to own more than one type of cannabis business, a prospective business owner told lawmakers Thursday morning.

At the very least, businesses should be allowed to grow and also manufacture cannabis products, Mike Mateo said during a public hearing on the rules and regulations for the island’s recreational cannabis industry.

That’s how the cannabis black market operates — by controlling cultivation, manufacturing and sale — and legal cannabis businesses need to do the same to compete on price, Mateo said.