Pacific Island Times Vol 3 No 6 June 2019 | Page 4

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK S A tiny bottle of hope ure, why not? I picked the one with a label marked “lem- on-flavored.” I reluctantly pulled my credit card to pay for the 30ml tiny bottle that cost $120. Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Mar-Vic Cagurangan [email protected] For that price tag, you can’t be truly nonchalant about that buying decision. Frankly, I find that quite too steep. But when your life is constant- ly ruled by work deadlines, anything that promises to soothe your anxiety may be worth a try. And given my chemophobia, remedies that are pitched as “all natural” appeal to me. However, I have yet to open my newly purchased CBD oil. Before it started pop- ping up everywhere on Guam, I was vaguely familiar with CBD — short for cannabidiol, a component of cannabis and hemp, which experts describe as “a non-psy- chotropic.” If viral mar- keting is to be believed, CBD is a miracle cure for all sorts of illnesses, pains, headaches, PMS, inflammation, anxiety, depression or what have you. Hence its growing popularity. CBD seems like a placeholder for medical marijuana, which remained unavailable legally five years since Guam voted for its legalization. The lack of a licensed cannabis testing lab has left the program in limbo. Besides CBD oil and capsules sold at specialty shops, CBD-infused menu items are a lure at many local coffee shops and restaurants. But businesses remain cautious. While medical and recreational marijuana are both now legal on Guam, CBD has a confounding legal status that seems to confuse even the Customs agency and make banking institutions wary. 4 For our cover story, Johanna Salinas inter- viewed local CBD busi- ness owners, who spoke about the barriers they have encountered as they navigate this unchartered territory. Even in many states in the U.S. mainland, the legality of CBD remains undefined. But American consumers shrug. Be- tween this and opioids? CBD has cracked on to mass appeal. According to Consumer Report, “some 64 million Ameri- cans have tried CBD in the past two years.” But how effective is CBD, really? Its health benefits and medical properties seem to be as fuzzy as its legal status. According to the Med- ical News Today, “Scientists know little about what it can do: Most of the information about CBD’s effects in humans is anecdotal or extrapo- lated from animal studies, and few rigorous trials have been conducted.” And according to Consumer Re- port,” The massive gap in informa- tion on what it actually does, have led to an explosion in CBD products.” Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t. Hmmn. Maybe you’re just buying hope— in a tiny bottle for $120. But businesses remain cautious. While medical and recreational marijuana are both now legal on Guam, CBD has a confounding legal status that seems to confuse even the Customs agency and makes banking institutions wary. Contributing Writers Raquel Bagnol Zaldy Dandan Jayne Flores Ken Leon Guerrero Theodore Lewis Bruce Lloyd Joyce McClure Diana Mendoza Joseph Meyers Julian North Jonathan Perez Alex Rhowuniong Joy Santamarina Johanna Salinas Visual Editor Mar-Vic Cagurangan Sales and Marketing Executive Jan SN Furukawa [email protected] Account Executive Anna Marie Alegre [email protected] Administraitive Assistant Lolita Therrel [email protected] *** Pacific Independent News Service LLC Tumon Sands Plaza 1082 Pale San Vitores Rd. Tumon Guam 96931 Telephone: [phone] Email: [email protected] Website: www.pacificislandtimes.com The Pacific Island Times is published monthly and circulated in Guam and Palau by the Pacific Independent News Service LLC. Editorial and advertising submissions become property of the Pacific Island Times and cannot be lifted without consent of the publisher. Views and opinions from contributors do not necessarily represent the editorial position of the Pacific Island Times.