The monthly Cannabis Advisory Board meeting was held Wednesday via Zoom, with Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Regulation, Joanne Moorehead, providing a number of updates regarding licensing, staffing, and the progress of the territory’s medical cannabis program.
Moorehead reported that there are currently five registered practitioners on St. Thomas and four on St. Croix. The medical cannabis patient registry includes 17 patients on St. Thomas, 17 on St. Croix, and one on St. John. Additionally, there are two registered sacramental organizations operating on St. Thomas.
Applications for cannabis dispensary licenses are now open and will remain available through the deadline of Sept. 30. A public Q&A session for dispensary license applicants is scheduled for Aug. 14 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. via Zoom. To register, click here. Micro-cultivation permits are currently closed, but Moorehead confirmed plans to reopen them later this year, explaining that both application types cannot remain open simultaneously.
Moorehead also shared that the OCR plans to open applications later this month for manufacturing licenses, research and development licenses, and some third-party vendor licenses. She emphasized that the office is continuing to develop policies and standard operating procedures in preparation for completing the evaluation process and issuing licenses. “We need a lot of policies and standard operating procedures in place before we do that,” she said.
The Office of Cannabis Regulation is actively recruiting two cannabis compliance auditors – one for St. Croix and one for St. Thomas. Moorehead said the roles are critical to the regulatory function of the office, as the auditors will be responsible for evaluating licensees and ensuring they remain in compliance. Those interested in applying for the positions can do so through the V.I. Department of Personnel website. The deadline to apply is Aug. 12.
During the question-and-answer portion of the meeting, board Chair Dr. Catherine Kean inquired about the timeline for patient cultivation licenses and asked for clarification on the pricing of cannabis business licenses. Moorehead responded that patient cultivation licenses will likely be approved and distributed within the next 30 to 60 days, pending document verification and the convening of evaluation committees.
Regarding the cost of cannabis business licenses, Moorehead reminded attendees that all cannabis license fees are nonrefundable. The board previously approved an annual fee of $25,000 for cannabis dispensary licenses. In recognition of the high cost, the board agreed to split the dispensary application fee. Applicants are required to pay $10,000 to begin the process, and if approved, must pay the remaining $15,000 to receive the license and begin operations.
The next meeting of the Cannabis Advisory Board is scheduled for Sept. 10.
Current members of the Cannabis Advisory Board include Dr. Catherine Kean, Nathalie Hodge, Justa Encarnacion, Louis Petersen, Joseph Boschulte, Dr. Gary Jett, and Chris Jones.
