The Virgin Islands Cannabis Advisory Board on Thursday approved laboratory testing standards for cannabis products, clearing another major hurdle as the U.S. Virgin Islands moves closer to launching its long-awaited regulated cannabis industry.
The approved testing standards establish requirements for contaminants, heavy metals, microbial controls and product-specific testing for inhalable cannabis products, edibles, tinctures and topicals. The Office of Cannabis Regulation’s Executive Director Joanne Moorehead said the standards were designed with the Virgin Islands’ humid tropical environment in mind.
“I do think that ours might be a little more stringent, but that is really because we’re looking at environmental factors that affect our plant product grown here versus in other parts of the country,” Moorehead said.
Board members raised concerns about possible contamination from heavy metals in soil and water, particularly on St. Croix due to the island’s industrial history. Board member Dr. Gary Jett questioned whether soil testing is routinely conducted in the territory.
Moorehead acknowledged the concern and encouraged cultivators to test both soil and cistern water before growing cannabis.
“If it’s in your water and you’re using that water to water your plants, it’s the same thing. It’s still getting into your plant via the root system,” she said.
The board also discussed the recent federal rescheduling of medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law. The change would recognize medical cannabis as having accepted medical uses under federal law and could ease some restrictions on research and business operations, though recreational cannabis would remain federally illegal.
Moorehead cautioned that the change applies only to medical cannabis and does not legalize recreational cannabis federally.
“It is not a wholesale rescheduling,” she said. “It does not make adult use or recreational marijuana or cannabis legal.”
Moorehead said the change could create new compliance and tracking obligations for medical cannabis businesses seeking federal registration through the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The board additionally reviewed a newly approved resolution giving previously unsuccessful dispensary applicants a one-time opportunity to amend portions of their applications to address deficiencies identified during the scoring process. Ownership changes will not be permitted under the amendment process, officials said.
Under the resolution, unsuccessful applicants will have 30 days to voluntarily submit revised application materials after receiving formal notification from the Office of Cannabis Regulation.
Moorehead also outlined the territory’s licensing process for commercial cultivators, explaining that applicants first undergo merit-based evaluation before receiving conditional approval. Final certificates to operate are issued only after applicants’ complete inspections and satisfy compliance requirements.
“We’re not trying to set people up for failure. We want them to succeed,” Moorehead said, describing the extensive back-and-forth process between regulators and applicants to ensure compliance before operations begin.
During her office update, Moorehead said medical cannabis registrations continue across the territory, with nine practitioners currently participating — five on St. Thomas and four on St. Croix — along with 44 active patients. She said the office continues reviewing applications and processing patient renewals as the program expands.
She also reported that several commercial cultivators are awaiting certificates to operate and could begin growing once final inspections are completed.
“We are right on the cusp for cultivation,” Moorehead said.
According to Moorehead, micro-cultivators and dispensaries are progressing through compliance reviews, while manufacturing and research-and-development applications are awaiting final scoring from evaluation committees. She added that third-party vendors and transportation providers remain pending as the office continues working through responsible vendor training requirements.
Members present at the meeting were Natalie Hodge, Louis Petersen, Dr. Gary Jett, Chris Jones, Bernisha Liburd, Dr. Katherine Kean.
The board scheduled its next meeting for June 25.
