Para Amot Ha'
by Michael Lujan Bevacqua
Marianas Variety
July 22, 2015
Last year the people of Guam vote to approve the use of
medical marijuana. Since then the Department of Public Health has been
preparing a draft of rules for setting up the infrastructure for the growing,
distribution and use of medical marijuana in Guam. Three public hearings on the draft
regulations are taking place before the end of this month. They are on the
following days and locations:
July 29, 9 – 11 am at the Legislature’s Public Hearing Room
July 30, 9 – 11 am at the Legislature’s Public Hearing Room
July 31, 3 – 6 pm at the Castle Mall, Mangilao, Division of
Senior Citizens Conference Room.
If you are able, please come out and learn more about the
regulations that are being proposed and speak your mind about what form they should
take. I am part of the advisory board that is overseeing this process, and the
input of the public is essential to make certain that the system set up for
medical marijuana on Guam serves the community in the best possible ways.
I first became involved with this issue last year. I was
approached by the family of the late Joaquin Concepcion, known to many as the
singer “Savage K.” They were spearheading the effort to get the public to
approve the Joaquin ‘KC’ Concepcion II Compassionate Canabis Use Act, which
would legalize medical marijuana locally. Savage K’s aunt is Teresita Flores
who teaches in Chamorro Studies at the University of Guam. I was happy to help,
especially after talking to her and other manåmko’ about their thoughts on the
issue. I remember when I was conducting interviews with elders as part of
research projects 10 and 15 years ago. The manåmko’ I spoke to were very much
against the use of marijuana, even para åmot ha’, just for medicine. But things
have changed. Today, people are living for years with terrible pains, and now
more than ever the community seems to appreciate the pain relief that medical
marijuana can provide people with few other options.
We held a screening at the University of Guam for the film
“The Culture High” which illuminates the complicated history of cannabis and
how people have come to have distorted perceptions about its use and effects. It
was very eye-opening for those who attended, as many had impressions of
marijuana as a drug that does little more than destroy lives, or that it is
just something for “good times.”
In November, the people spoke and approved the medical
marijuana bill. It was a historic moment and Guam received attention from
around not just the United States but the world, as the first territory of the
United States to pass this type of legislation.
It was an important occasion, as the people had made a good
choice for the benefit of our most vulnerable family, friends and neighbors.
Guam was once a place that prided itself on the use of natural remedies, i
che’cho’ suruhanu or yo’åmte for our ailments. It was so inspiring to see the
people of Guam recognize the value of cannabis para åmot ha’.
Changes in our diet and our lifestyle have led to serious
and terrible new health problems. In the campaign for the passage of medical
marijuana the Concepcion family asked people simple questions such as “Håyi
hao?” and “Håyi hit?” Who are you and who are we? They called on people to
question what they really know about cannabis and its use, and consider how
much was myth and how much was truth. Part of the functioning of any community
is the ability to see the way the social contract works best when we have the
ability to see beyond just ourselves, but be able to envision ourselves as
connected to others across space, but also across time. To see the generations
before and the generations to come, and even what we might become ourselves in
time.
The Concepcion family asked people to consider the fact that
even if they are not sick now, one day they will be older and may become ill. Do they want to be fighting for this type of relief when
they are older? Or do we as an island community have the foresight to recognize
the potential value of cannabis in terms of helping the terminally ill? I was so
grateful that the voters listened to the stories of the Concepcion family and
others, who talked about the relief that cannabis had brought to their loved
ones when nothing else seemed to help them.
Most of the members of the advisory board are medical
practitioners , and although I am a “Dr.” I am not a medical doctor. My role on
the advisory board is to represent the community and express their thoughts,
concerns and recommendations. I will unfortunately not be able to attend the
three public hearings as I’ll be offisland, but I want to invite people to
please email me with their comments so that I can present them to the advisory
board as a whole. My email is mlbasquiat@hotmail.com.
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