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A virtual town hall meeting will take place on Monday to introduce the proposed medicinal cannabis rules and regulations in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The V.I. Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs has announced that the V.I. Cannabis Advisory Board will conduct the session from 6:00 p.m. and there will be a 30-day period for citizens to provide comments on the regulations.
“The proposed Medicinal Cannabis Rules & Regulations are being reviewed by the Office of Cannabis Regulations and the Department of Justice. A comment period shall open after the Town Hall Meeting for 30 days,” said a news release from DLCA.
The USVI Cannabis Advisory Board, or VICAB, is the oversight board of the medical cannabis industry of the Virgin Islands. It is made up of 11 members from both the private and public sectors.
The board includes representation from the farming sector; an expert in cannabis technology; an economist; a University of the Virgin Islands representative; a Dept. of Health representative; three healthcare practitioners including one pharmacist; a Dept. of Agriculture representative; a disability advocate and a naturopathic medicine representative, according to DLCA.
Medical cannabis was legalized in the territory in January 2019 after Governor Albert Bryan signed a long-awaited bill into law. The V.I. Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act which was approved by lawmakers in 2018 allows qualified patients to obtain, possess and consume marijuana for therapeutic purposes. It also establishes legal dispensaries and facilities to cultivate, test and manufacture cannabis products.
The legislation gave effect to a Virgin Islands community-wide referendum held in 2014 that approved the introduction of the medical-use sale of cannabis products by a majority of the voters.
Patients suffering from several serious medical conditions including cancer, HIV/AIDS, and chronic pain will be able to receive a recommendation for medical marijuana from a licensed medical practitioner. Qualifying residents can possess up to four ounces of cannabis at a time and possession for non-residents will be capped at three ounces.
In November 2021, lawmakers from the territory visited Colorado to learn what’s working and what’s not with regards to the recreational use of marijuana. The delegation of three dozen, including 11 of the territory's 15 senators and Governor Albert Bryan, learned about some of the most common pitfalls, and they got a clear view of the potential revenue a recreational marijuana industry can generate.
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