The Guam public's resounding vote in favour of allowing the use of medical marijuana may be all for nothing according the Department of Public Health and Social Services.
More than 56 percent of those who voted in the referendum this week said yes to medical marijuana.
The Director of the Department of Public Health James Gillan, says this is partly because of island's traditional use of herbal medicines and the ineffectiveness of prescription drugs.
"Some of the attempts to continue to treat people in the stateside medical model get very expensive. And when there appears to be no hope why not use something that's cheaper and perhaps helps with the pain management and with, sometimes with appetite increasing."
James Gillan says the Department of Public Health now has one year to draw up all the regulations for the use of the drug in the territory.
But he also says it may all come to nothing as the territory may lack the power to adopt the relevant regulations.