During the most recent meeting of the Virgin Islands Cannabis Advisory Board, members received several key updates from the Office of Cannabis Regulation, reported by Executive Director Joanne Moorehead, including progress on licensing, compliance training, and federal and local legislative developments.
Moorehead began by noting that a new board member nomination had been forwarded to the Legislature by the governor’s office, with a Rules and Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Thursday. The addition is expected to help the board achieve a full quorum for future meetings.
She reported that the OCR has begun processing renewals for medical cannabis patients, marking the first time since registrations opened that patients are completing the renewal cycle. The territory currently has five registered practitioners on St. Thomas, four on St. Croix, and one on St. John, and registered patients are 20 on St. Thomas and 18 on St. Croix.
Moorehead also provided an update on licensing activity. The dispensary application period closed on Oct. 15, with about 20 applications received now under review before moving to the evaluation stage. The manufacturing license window is open until Dec. 19, marking the first phase without a cap on the number of licenses, unlike cultivation and dispensary categories.
The OCR continues to work toward securing a certified lab testing facility, which Moorehead emphasized as critical to the next stage of implementation. Agent registration remains ongoing, and upcoming licensing opportunities include research and development, third-party vendor approvals, and transporter certificates for companies moving cannabis products between licensees.
Enforcement capacity is also being strengthened. The OCR recently acquired field testing equipment that will allow enforcement teams to verify cannabis products on the spot, in coordination with other territorial and federal agencies. Two cannabis compliance auditors have joined the OCR and are currently undergoing training to assist licensees.
As part of those efforts, the OCR hosted a Cannabis Compliance Summit on Nov. 3 and 4, with sessions on St. Thomas and St. Croix. The event featured experts from the mainland United States and Canada, as well as local agencies such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue, who addressed key compliance areas including taxation, security, insurance, and banking. Roughly 40 participants registered for the summit. A recording from the St. Croix session may later be shared online.
Moorehead also highlighted that METRC, the seed-to-sale inventory tracking system, is now onboarding conditional licensees, giving them access to the learning platform as part of the rollout.
Additionally, the OCR has an open Request for Proposals on the government of the Virgin Islands procurement site for administrative hearing officer services, with a closing date of Dec. 10.
Moorehead also informed the board that an updated version of Sen. Clifford Joseph’s hemp-related bill will be heard in the Legislature on Nov. 20, coinciding with national discussions to close the federal hemp loophole that has allowed intoxicating cannabinoids to be sold under the 2018 Farm Bill. To read the bill, click here.
Tentatively, the next Cannabis Advisory Board meeting will take place on Dec. 4, at 2 p.m.
For more updates, visit the OCR website at ocr.vi.gov or email info.ocr@ocr.vi.gov.
St. Croix Source
Local news
