U.S. Virgin Islands
The Governor of the United States Virgin Island, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. (D), signed two bills into law on January 18, 2023, that legalize marijuana and expunge the records of those arrested for certain crimes pertaining to cannabis possession. Adults over the age of 21 can now possess up to 2 oz of marijuana, 14 g of concentrates, and 1 oz of edibles or tinctures. Cultivation permits will be awarded to those who grow cannabis for sacramental purposes. It is unclear when dispensaries will begin operations.
The Virgin Islands Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act was signed into law on January 19, 2019. It allows residents of the islands to possess up to 4 oz of cannabis and to cultivate up to 12 plants. The law also restricts dispensaries from selling more than 3 oz of cannabis to a patient within a single 14-day period.
The territory allows for a broad range of healthcare professionals to recommend cannabis so long as they are licensed to practice in the U.S. Virgin Islands, in good standing, and have a bona-fide practitioner-patient relationship. Healthcare professionals allowed to recommend cannabis include MDs, DOs, NDs, PAs, NPs, homeopaths, or chiropractors. The Virgin Islands Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act recognizes that cannabis may alleviate, and may therefore be recommended, for any condition that either requires hospice care or causes cachexia, nausea, seizures, or severe muscle spasms. It also specifically mentions that the following debilitating conditions may be treated with cannabis:
• Alzheimer’s disease
• ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Crohn’s disease
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Hepatitis C
• HIV/AIDS
• Huntington’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Neuropathy
• Parkinson’s disease
• PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Spinal cord injury
• Traumatic brain injury
There are no state-run dispensaries open as of this time, unfortunately. Once they are open, they will be allowed to provide cannabis to patients from other jurisdictions, provided they have proof of enrollment. As stated in the Virgin Islands Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act, non-residents may possess 3 oz.
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