The U.S. Virgin Islands has just legalized medical cannabis

It's official: the U.S. Virgin Islands, a Caribbean archipelago under U.S. jurisdiction, have legalized medical cannabis. We had been following the story the bill's progress in the Senate. The bill has now become law, having been approved by the Senate and signed by the governor.

The law

The Virgin Islands Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act allows patients to obtain, possess, and use cannabis for medical purposes. Patients who are residents of the islands will be allowed to carry up to 4 ounces (approximately 113 grams) of cannabis, while non-residents will be limited to 3 ounces, or 85 grams. Patients will carry a card proving that they have a prescription for medical cannabis. A list of medical conditions that qualify patients for medical cannabis use is included in the legislation. It includes, among others, cancer, AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, and opioid addiction.

The Virgin Islands Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act It also authorizes dispensaries and production facilities to produce, process, and distribute medical cannabis in the Islands. To prevent monopolies, companies may hold only one type of license at a time; thus, they will not be able to both produce and distribute medical cannabis, for example. Furthermore, production is limited to a maximum of 1,000 plants so that as many farmers as possible can benefit.

Enthusiastic elected officials

One month after the Senate passed the bill, the new governor, Albert Bryan, signed it into law. In an interview with The St. Thomas Source Last year, he stated: «I believe that a properly regulated medical cannabis industry can provide assistance to those seeking alternatives to conventional treatments and can also be an economic asset that brings new revenue to the Virgin Islands.» Tax revenue generated by taxes on the new industry will be redirected toward addiction treatment programs, tourism projects, agricultural investments, worker training, and infrastructure development.

The bill's sponsor, Terrence Nelson, declared «Pleased and excited that his efforts have gone from being «laughable» to becoming law. The senator had been trying for several years to pass cannabis legislation, but none had succeeded until now. He says he is now ready to move on to «the next step,» which he describes as «establishing rules and regulations.» For Terrence Nelson, the legalization of medical cannabis is just the beginning: «It’s only a small victory on the bumpy road to full legalization.».