The U.S. Virgin Islands Legalize Medical Marijuana

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. of the U.S. Virgin Islands has signed the Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act into law, making it the latest U.S. territory to adopt a medical marijuana law.

“We applaud Gov. Bryan and the Virgin Islands Legislature for enacting this sensible and compassionate legislation,” said Karen O’Keefe of the MPP. “Medical marijuana is widely recognized as an effective treatment for a variety of debilitating conditions and symptoms. This new law offers the prospect of relief for countless patients, and it will do so for generations to come.”

Effective medical marijuana laws have been adopted in 32 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Seventeen other states have adopted medical marijuana laws that are ineffective because they are either unworkable or exceptionally restrictive. Idaho is the only state and American Samoa is the only U.S. territory without any form of medical marijuana law.

“Most U.S. states and territories have enacted effective medical cannabis laws, and those that have not are giving them increasingly stronger consideration,” O’Keefe noted. “There is no reason why patients in 18 states and American Samoa should continue to be deprived of this medical treatment option that is now accessible to so many of their fellow Americans.”