It’s in stark contrast to the previously reported assessment primarily done by the Cannabis Control Board subcommittee. The CCB’s assessment presented a positive economic impact to Guam of $11.5 million and estimating 31,500 incremental visitors. Perez explains it did not take into account the sensitivity of arrivals from key markets.
“So what we then did was did our own assessment detached from that study and took our 2019 actual arrivals and applied a sensitivity test to key markets–key markets like in Japan and Taiwan family market, the Korean family market and all others,” he said. “And then we look at school trips both Japan, Korean, Taiwan and then look at the silver market excluding family of school trips and sensitize that by a nationality in Japan, Taiwan and Korea.”
Perez adds when the bill was under consideration over a year ago, former president Pilar Liguana pointed out concerns the GVB board had with “tarnishing Guam’s family-friendly image.” According to the data, this may be the reality if the sale of marijuana is approved in Tumon.
“The law is the law, it’s already the law it just a matter of how you regulate the use of recreational marijuana to mitigate the adverse impact to our key markets,” he said.
GVB board has passed along their study finding to the cannabis control board and the legislature for review.
