Open letter to Residents of the USVI

Open Letter to the Residents of the United States Virgin Islands
November 15, 2009

Dear Fellow Residents,
I came to St. Croix for the first time in 1987. Oh, what I fell in love with - the people, the land, the sea - the mountains - it was all so magical! When my best friend died suddenly almost 20 years later, I re-evaluated my life - and this is where I came - back to St. Croix. This is where my heart is - my friends and my adopted families are here. I brought up my children as older teens here.

But as much as St. Croix (and the rest of the Territory) offers in beauty and appeal to its visitors and residents, if we don't look to the future and make serious changes, we will lose these islands we call home. We will lose our young people to the allure of a better future somewhere else. We are losing them now because there is no value to life in some of their minds. We need to step up to the plate - and fast - to put a halt to the violence and killings, to build a future for all the people of the US Virgin Islands, and to free up the resources that could be better directed if we were to make some changes within our laws.

Let me begin with letting everyone know, I am not a smoker of cannabis. I tried it early in my 20's, but it didn't appeal to me. I have used cannabis to treat medical conditions (Fibromyalgia, severe gastric problems, and wounds/cuts) and I have cooked with cannabis on occasion (meals, not just cookies). I have seen the healing power it has to treat medical conditions first hand (myself and my son) and with others. I have experienced and understand the use of cannabis as a tool, a gift for meditation and spirituality. I also understand and have known many people who use it to unwind as many use alcohol without any of the negative effects of the alcohol. Strong words, I know, as we live in Rum Country!

Earlier this year I began working with some like-minded residents of the Territory and we became an official chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. We are officially USVI NORML. Our mission is to educate and lobby to reform laws regarding cannabis.

We have many reasons to look to changing the laws regarding cannabis within the Territory. If you will indulge me, I shall explain our views.

Cannabis has been proven to relieve a number of medical conditions - and despite the US Government mandating that Cannabis remain on the Schedule 1 class of drugs - with no medicinal benefit - the US Government itself holds a patent on the cannabinoids that are found in this plant. This patent # 6630507 states that certain properties (cannabinoids) that are from this plant have medicinal benefit.

Quoting from the Abstract of the patent:
"Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia."

Yet we are told by the same United States Government that filed for and holds this patent that there is no medicinal value to this plant and that is why it remains on the Schedule 1 drug list.

We believe that all people should have the access to this plant - this herb that grows freely in the ground such as chamomile, or lemon grass - without the stigma and legal ramifications that are currently attached to this plant. It is an herb - just as many others that we use daily - others that give us certain curative value.

We have a culture here (and I don't mean habit - but culture) of the use of herb for religious sacrament as well as being lifted to a higher place of enlightenment. Why should those people suffer in their worship?

We spend untold dollars (dollars that could benefit us) seeking out, arresting, prosecuting, and housing people for growing and selling a plant. People die because when this is held in the dark - kept illegal - there is the element of violence and crime that comes from illegal activity. It is part and parcel to prohibition. Look back to the years of alcohol's prohibition to see the violence and crime that came of it. It has been told to me that it costs approximately $35,000 per year to house a prisoner of a cannabis crime at Golden Grove. And that person’s life is harmed in so many ways. They cannot decide to change their life and get a student loan to further their education. They cannot enter the military to serve our country. They cannot get a HUD or other government loan to build a home and their future. The cost of prohibition to society, especially here in the USVI, hurts us severely in numerous ways.

I applaud the Governor for trying to ensure a future industry and income to the Territorial Government with the recent rum deals that have been negotiated. But we are putting out a lot for the promises (albeit in contractual form) of a strong return to come in the future. An additional alternative exists. And let's not forget that 13 States (totally over 700,000 Registered Medical Marijuana patients - not including California which does not require registration) have legalized some level of medical marijuana. Eleven more states have legislation pending with more changes coming daily. When those eleven states legalize medical marijuana HALF OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA will have legalized medical marijuana. And the Unites States Department of Justice has recently announced policy for Federal Prosecutors to not pursue prosecution of Medical Marijuana patients that comply with their State Laws.

Currently only 3 states offer any reciprocation for registered patients - meaning if you have a medical MJ card you can only visit 3 states and use your medicine legally. Those states are Montana, Michigan, and Rhode Island - with another either having just - or about to include reciprocity. If we fail to recognize and move ahead of the happenings in the mainland, we are telling potentially half of the USA we don't support your choice of medicine - so don't come here on vacation if you use medical marijuana. We don't want your kind here. So, how much revenue and tourism numbers are we looking at potentially deflecting AWAY from the Territory?

So here are our thoughts:

We legalize (or totally decriminalize if that suits you better) cannabis for Industrial and Personal use by responsible adults.

We aren't encouraging people to use who don't - we are taking those that currently do and bringing them into a safe place - away from the elements that exist in prohibition - in illegal realms. They don't have to put themselves in harm’s way in order to medicate - or meditate - or worship. These are adults that are already medicating, meditating, and worshiping. Let's give them the freedom to use this PLANT as it is intended without fear.

Now, we allow for those adults who so wish to use, possess, and grow cannabis for their own personal use. If they chose not to grow their own, we allow them to purchase it from a licensed vendor who may also be a licensed grower or who has purchased it wholesale from a licensed grower. So now we have just brought those illegal, underground entrepreneurs to the legitimate side of business. They now are licensed business owners. There are some trade offs for them - but the benefits truly outweigh the perceived negatives.

Now we look at the industrial hemp industry. Industrial hemp is very low THC content cannabis - it won't get you high. It is grown and used for its extreme strength, durability, and "green" factors. If we were to legalize the cultivation, processing, and export of raw, processed, or finished hemp products - just think how our agricultural industry would flourish! We could be re-living the times when Sugar was King! Farmers worldwide have harvested the crop for the past 12,000 years for fiber and food. More than 30 industrialized nations commercially grow hemp, including England and Canada.

Now take that agricultural market for cannabis hemp products and, in addition to the revitalization for our farmers, see how this can build our future economy and our young people. We have such talent on these islands in our youth. From spoken word, to the written, from the visual to the physical art works - we have more creative people here than we know. We need to encourage our young people to develop hemp clothing lines, paper products, the creams, ointments, shampoos, perfumes, and other products that are being produced from this plant - to design what they will with their unending creativity. Many high end automotive companies are building cars (body panels to interior coverings and interiors to the door panels) out of hemp and its byproducts. They are developing and producing bio fuels out of this plant. It is being used in building materials. And it has the ability to help save our planet from the abuse we have inflicted with our misuse of her resources.

Examples of products made from hemp include clothing, building materials, and automotive interior and exterior parts. Lotus made a concept car in 2008 called the Lotus Eco Elise. The renewable materials that have been incorporated into the Eco Elise project include hemp (industrial cannabis) that’s used on the car’s composite body panels, spoiler and seats, eco wool for the upholstery and sisal for the carpet. Here is a picture of what Cannabis Hemp has been processed into:
Lotus Eco Elise Auto Parts Building Materials / Insulation Instrument Textiles

Perhaps now we could retain our youth - rather than having them leave the Territory for school never to return - we could build educational programs focusing more on business, creating of products, manufacturing and process engineering, and of course agriculture - all giving them the opportunity for not just jobs - but careers - here in the US Virgin Islands - their home. In order to support these new businesses and the increased agriculture, there will have to be supporting businesses as well. And we haven't even touched on tourism.

We know there are nearly a million medical marijuana patients legally using marijuana as medicine on a daily basis in the United States. There are also over 15 countries, besides the United States, that have some form of either medical marijuana or decriminalization laws.

Our own Department of Tourism tells us we have over 2 million visitors to the Territory every year. We can either increase or decrease that number by the laws that we put into place. If we choose to continue as we are, criminalizing cannabis, we will surely decrease our tourism as the number of states and countries around us continue to push toward legalizing at some level. If we choose to create our own future, we could be looking at a future of season-less tourism. We could be looking at additional businesses to support the desire and demand by our tourists for cannabis-based businesses such as cafes, herbal markets, cannabis friendly restaurants and hotels (segregated or exclusive) with resulting supportive businesses.

We are not talking about allowing people to walk down the street smoking cannabis. We are suggesting responsible use in restricted public places and in private. We advocate respecting the rights of all people - those choosing to refrain and those choosing to partake.

This has the potential of increasing the volume of business to all existing businesses, restaurants, stores, hotels, businesses of all types as tourism continues year round and increases in numbers. This will also bring additional businesses and supportive business opportunities to the residents of the Territory. We advocate for the ownership of any cannabis-based business and the supporting businesses to be majority owned by resident Virgin Islanders and any cannabis used to manufacture or that is sold in any form come directly from the agricultural sector here in the Territory. We want to build the future of the Territory with the people and resources of the Territory.

To briefly summarize for a moment, we have saved financial and human resources by redirecting the efforts of law enforcement to bring the Territory to a safe place by focusing on violent crimes. We have brought back to life the agricultural industry that once made these islands great. We have found a way to retain our youth - and give them hope for a future and a way to express their creative nature using this plant. We have created new businesses and supporting businesses based on this plant. We have found a way to level out our employment throughout the year, reducing unemployment, slow business periods, possibly welfare recipients, and increase the self worth of our people. We will be bringing additional revenues to the existing businesses by increased tourism throughout the year. We place the US Virgin Islands on the leading edge of what is about to happen on a world wide scale.

In all of this we haven't even touched on the revenues that the Government could recognize without offering ANY ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES - aside from those that are available currently to businesses.

Based on the Tourism Department's own numbers, if only 4% of the 2 million tourists were to purchase a Visitor Use Permit for a specified time frame - say up to 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year as we have tourist and part time residents as well - a figure close to $12 million could be easily generated in a 12 month period from the visitor use permits alone. Add to that the increased business and employment taxes paid by new and existing businesses, the reduction in unemployment and welfare benefits paid, and the licensing/registration fees for resident users, growers, and business vendors.

There are many, many valid reasons for us to re-evaluate our stance on legalizing this herb right now. If we don't act now, we will find ourselves in a position of lost revenue and tourism. We will continue to lose our children to the effects of criminalizing this plant - forcing people to hover in places they shouldn't be, forcing our youth to see lives (perhaps theirs) cut short because someone sees no future - no value in living - no real fear or consequence in taking life.

We must act now. We have legislation written that includes everything I have shared with you and more. Everyone will benefit from this legislation - but we must stand up. As Bob Marley said, "Get up. Stand up. Stand up for your rights!"

We have the right to change the laws. We have the right to build and create a future for our people of the US Virgin Islands. We have the right to a better life. And we have the right - granted to us by the Revised Organic Act of 1954 and our own laws - to have the Commissioner of Health reclassify cannabis on the Territorial Schedule of Drugs - or remove it entirely!

We only have these small islands to ourselves for a short time. Let's not ruin the time we have by refusing to step up to the plate for our children and their future - the future of The US Virgin Islands.

Working for a better future for all,

Linda Adler
Executive Director, USVI NORML
www.usvinorml.org
340-244-9179Common Uses for Cannabis Hemp