The story
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. signed the US Virgin Islands Cannabis Use Act on 18 January 2023. The law combined adult, medical and sacramental cannabis rules, set adult possession limits and created a licensing system. Bryan also announced pardons for simple possession and urged eligible people to apply.[1][2]
Adults and patients received different allowances
The law set adult limits at two ounces of cannabis, 14 grams of concentrate and one ounce of cannabis products. Qualified patients received higher allowances: four ounces of cannabis, one ounce of concentrate and two ounces of products.[1]
It also allowed qualified resident patients to grow six flowering and six immature plants for personal medical use on private property with the owner’s consent. A separate limit ordinarily allowed twelve of each at one address. Cannabis from those personal medical plants could not be sold.[1]
Sacramental use had a separate place
The law recognised cannabis use by adults belonging to an incorporated religion or faith, subject to the regulator’s requirements. It directed officials to make rules enabling registered sacramental users to cultivate on private property under plant limits and fees aligned with patient growing.[1]
Its regulatory system also included commercial cultivation, manufacturing, dispensaries, research, testing and several kinds of consumption permit. That put patient rights and religious use alongside the creation of a commercial industry.[1]
Pardons and record clearance followed different paths
At the signing, Bryan estimated that about 300 people had been convicted of simple possession over the preceding twenty years. Government House told people to obtain and return pardon applications through the Department of Justice.[2]
It distinguished forgiveness through a pardon from clearing a conviction through expungement. Its announcement also described automatic expungement for eligible simple-possession convictions involving up to two ounces, with a task force working on the process.[2]
Use and sales still faced an implementation process
In March, Government House told residents that use and sales remained prohibited while the implementing rules were prepared. It said public consumption, federal facilities and personal transport between islands would remain restricted afterwards.[3]
The approved rules received the lieutenant governor’s certification in May 2024. By September 2026, regulators reported an operational laboratory and the first commercial grow’s operating certificate.[4][5]
The US Virgin Islands profile follows the rights in the law and progress toward licensed supply.
Score by segment 0 to 10
- Possession · 25%3 → 5+2
- Personal cultivation · 25%1 → 1
- Punishment & enforcement · 20%2 → 6+4
- Sharing & gifting · 10%1 → 3+2
- Consumption · 10%1 → 3+2
- Legal access · 10%0 → 0
The bar shows the score after the change; the tick marks where it stood before. The scores after the change are US Virgin Islands's current scores.
References
- US Virgin Islands — signed Cannabis Use Act, January 20232023 · Act 8680; sections 779–780, 783–785, 794, 802, 807; final sections 2–3 and 7; signed approval on last PDF page
- Government House — Governor Bryan signs adult-use cannabis legislation2023 · 18 January; signing, pardon applications, estimated 300 earlier convictions and distinction between pardon and expungement
- Government House — status of cannabis use in the territory, March 20232023 · 16 March; administration says use and sales await regulations, reiterates $100 personal-possession fine and future public/inter-island restrictions
- US Virgin Islands — approved cannabis rules and regulations, 20242024 · Definitions, patient registration, conditional licences, testing and sacramental rules; pp. 125–126 show 13 May certification/attestation and 4 May governor approval
- St. Thomas Source — cannabis board reviews hemp rules and first commercial growDiana Dias · 2026 · 24 September; office update: certificate to operate for a Tier 1 grower on St. Croix, operational lab awaiting plants; hemp proposals distinguished from final rules
Checked. The date and the event were compared with a source that was read. The score before the change is an editorial estimate.