OFFICE OF CANNABIS REGULATIONS REMINDS COMMUNITY ABOUT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CANNABIS AND HEMP

by | Jan 27, 2023 | Businesses, Press Releases | 0 comments

January 27, 2023, US Virgin Islands – The Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs (DLCA) would like to issue the following reminders through its Office of Cannabis Regulations (OCR):

  • Cannabis and Hemp are legally distinct from each other.
    • Cannabis is a territorially legal, federally illegal cannabinoid plant with high levels of THC.
    • Hemp is a federally legal cannabinoid plant with a THC level of UNDER 0.3%.
  • Hemp Licensing:
    • Hemp Product Retailer Licenses are available through the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs.
      • Licensees may ONLY sell the following:
        • Cloth, Cordage, Fiber, Fuel, Paint, Paper, Particleboard, Plastics, Certified Seed for Cultivation [Originating from Industrial Hemp];
        • Hemp products containing cannabis-derived ingredients to be marketed as foods for human and animal consumption that do not contain CBD or THC;
        • Hulled Hemp Seeds, Hemp Seed Protein, and Hemp Seed Oil; or
        • Hemp products that contain cannabis-derived ingredients, including those containing CBD or THC for use as a cosmetic.
      • As of January 26, 2023, the FDA has concluded that existing regulatory frameworks for foods and supplements are not appropriate for cannabidiol.
    • Hemp Manufacturer’s License and other horticulturally based hemp licenses are available through the Department of Agriculture.
  • Cannabis Licensing:
    • Licenses for cannabis are available exclusively through the OCR.
    • Since the signing of Act 8680 on January 18, 2023, by Governor Albert Bryan, Jr., OCR has been tasked with developing new and modified programming to begin legal cannabis sales in the Territory.
      • No licenses or applications have been issued; none are available.
      • For more information on cannabis programming, please visit: ocr.vi.gov  

For access to announcements from the OCR, please sign up at bit.ly/3q1yFzO. Please note that the link is case-sensitive.

Persons with questions may contact the OCR or Virgin Islands Cannabis Advisory Board through Executive Director Hannah Carty via phone at (340) 714-9755 or email at info.ocr@ocr.vi.gov.

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