Draft rules and regulations for the island’s medicinal marijuana program are expected to be approved and open to public comment by late April, said James Gillan, director of Guam’s public health department.

In November, voters approved legalizing the use of marijuana for the treatment of certain medical conditions, making Guam the first U.S. territory to legalize medical marijuana. The drug remains a Schedule I controlled substance under local and federal law.

The Department of Public Health and Social Services, the lead agency tasked with developing guidelines and regulations under the law, has less than five months to submit rules and regulations to the Guam Legislature.

Guam's public health department will hold an informal meeting next week to discuss ideas for the island's medical marijuana program.

The meeting will be held at Sen. Tina Muña Barnes' office at 2 p.m. April 10. The public can attend the meeting but won't be involved in the discussion.

In November, voters approved legalizing the use of marijuana for the treatment of certain medical conditions, making Guam the first U.S. territory to legalize medical marijuana. The drug remains a Schedule I controlled substance under local and federal law.

The Department of Public Health and Social Services, the lead agency tasked with developing guidelines and regulations under the law, has less than five months to submit rules and regulations to the Guam Legislature.

Guam is the first U.S. territory to legalize medicinal marijuana, joining 23 states. Legal marijuana will be limited to medicinal uses only.

The new law has the potential to help patients with debilitating diseases. For some, medical marijuana has alleviated pain associated with multiple sclerosis. For cancer patients, it can help reduce extreme nausea caused by chemotherapy and stimulate appetite.

Guam's Department of Public Health and Social Services will hold its first informational meeting next week to discuss the rules and regulations for the island's new medical marijuana law. It will be held at Sen. Tina Muña Barnes's office at 2 p.m. next Friday, said Public Health Director James Gillan.

A PETITION urging the legislative delegation of Rota to legalize marijuana for the “economic benefit” of the island has been circulating since last year, Variety learned.

The petition has been signed by more than 300 residents, students and parents since it was launched in June 2014.

The signatories are urging the island’s lawmakers to enact local legislation legalizing the growing, selling and smoking of marijuana (cannabis) for leisure and for medicinal purposes on Rota.

According to the petition, Rota is the most economically depressed island in the commonwealth.

There is “a large number of educated and productive members of the community leaving Rota to seek employment abroad.”

A local group is hoping to gain support to include Guam in federal legislation that would allow medical marijuana to be used in states where it's legal at the local level.

On March 10, Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., announced bipartisan legislation that would allow the use of medical marijuana in states where it's legal without fear of federal prosecution, a release from Paul's office states.

The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act would reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule II drug to recognize its medical use, and would amend federal law to allow states to set their own medical marijuana policies, the release states.