On Tuesday, the Cannabis Advisory Board rolled out a new fee schedule for medicinal and sacramental users of cannabis. The fees were unanimously approved by board members during the CAB’s first meeting since Office of Cannabis Regulation Executive Director Joanne Moorehead took up the post in mid-April.
With the new fees, medical cannabis patients resident in the territory will pay $50 for the issuance and renewal of identification cards, while designated caregivers pay $35. If a patient requests an additional caregiver, or vice versa, the applicant will pay $20.
Medical patients and sacramental users who wish to cultivate cannabis at home will be charged a fee of $100, while registration and renewal of practitioners will cost $250 every two years.
Information about fees for various other aspects of the cannabis regulatory regime is expected to be rolled out “within the month,” according to CAB Chair Catherine Kean. The business licensing framework will come later this year. “I would hope by August, September,” said Ms. Moorehead. “Just we need to make sure that all of the back end things are completed,” she continued, noting that staff must thoroughly vet the application packages to ensure that the “extensive requirements” contained in the cannabis regulations are met. Manufacturing and cultivation licenses were not discussed.
Currently, OCR is only able to accept payment by cheque, which can be mailed in, or paid at the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs offices on St. Thomas and St. Croix. Ms. Moorehead informed the board, however, that contractual arrangements are currently being ironed out, “so hopefully we will be able to accept online payments soon.”
Ms. Moorehead further stated that “all five individual and organizational licenses or identification cards and practitioner certifications…are all available online now are the registry system.”
Ms. Moorehead informed board members about OCR’s upcoming appointment with the Senate Committee on Budget, Finance, and Appropriations this Thursday to discuss the agency’s finances. However, she was unable to specify the total amount of money OCR had spent since its creation in early 2023 via Act 8680, although she expressed confidence that a thorough accounting of the financial details would be provided at Thursday’s Senate hearing.
