US Virgin Islands legalizes leisure marijuana for adults 21 and older

The U.S. Virgin Islands has licensed the leisure and sacramental use of marijuana for anybody 21 and older, becoming a member of a number of nations throughout the socially conservative Caribbean which have relaxed their hashish legal guidelines.

The transfer has been a number of years within the making, with U.S. Virgin Islands officers touring to Colorado to fulfill with cultivators, producers, regulation enforcement and others to study concerning the trade earlier than Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. signed the invoice Wednesday.

“We’re bringing the alternatives to you, however you have to additionally do your half to grab these alternatives,” Bryan stated, referring to the cultivation, manufacture and sale of marijuana within the U.S. territory.

Bryan added that his administration will expunge the data of these convicted of easy hashish possession if they’re eligible, saying that some 300 individuals within the U.S. territory of 105,000 inhabitants have been convicted within the final 20 years.

“It’s my purpose to verify many people who’ve been negatively impacted by the criminalization of hashish are afforded each alternative to take part on this new and authorized hashish trade,” he stated, including that the federal government will present entrepreneurship and job coaching.

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The U.S. Virgin Islands beforehand authorized marijuana for medicinal use in 2019.

The brand new regulation permits these 21 and older to own as much as 2 ounces of marijuana, a half ounce of focus and 1 ounce of merchandise equivalent to edibles for leisure, sacramental and different makes use of.

Medical marijuana sufferers are allowed to own as much as 4 ounces of hashish, 1 ounce of focus and a couple of ounces of merchandise.

Below the brand new measure, cultivation permits will probably be awarded to those that use marijuana for sacramental functions.

Dispensaries will apply a tax of no less than 18% on all gross sales, though medical marijuana sufferers are exempt, in accordance with the newly authorized regulation.

Three-fourths of the tax income will go to the final fund. Of that quantity, 15% is earmarked for behavioral well being applications, 5% to deal with homelessness, and 5% for youth applications.

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It wasn’t instantly clear when the rules of the newly authorized trade could be in place. The Workplace of Hashish Laws, which was created a yr in the past and held public hearings final yr on proposed guidelines and rules, couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.

The invoice states that the workplace will begin issuing purposes for licenses and permits inside a yr of the promulgation of the principles and rules.

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The regulation notes that the “closed economies” of the three islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands have restricted financial alternatives for its individuals, “lots of whom have been impacted by the prior prohibitions on cultivation, possession and sale of hashish.” It additionally stated it was applicable to acknowledge sure cultural and sacramental makes use of of it.