Update on Citizens Initiative Petition process

That was clear as mud.

Sorry - thought most knew.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2010

CITIZENS INITIATIVE FOR THE LEGISLATION OF CANNABIS/HEMP/MARIJUANA
We have about half of the required 4% of REGISTERED voter signatures. There will be a petition signing location set on 4/20/10 (420 is a universal term referencing marijuana) at Emancipation Gardens on St. Thomas from 11:30am until 6:00pm. We encourage all registered voters to come out and sign the petition. The petition does not say you want to legalize marijuana, but states

WE THE UNDERSIGNED, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE “LEGISLATION OF CANNABIS BE PUT TO A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS ON THE NOVEMBER 2010 BALLOT”

The legislation referred to is legislation written by local citizens - not our legislators. It encompasses all aspects of freeing this plant - all uses, including the compassionate medical use, spiritual use, industrial use (houses, car parts, clothing, bio-fuels) and more. This legislation will allow those tourists so inclined to safely purchase cannabis for use in private and restricted public spaces. This will allow businesses to support the cannabis industry to be opened, will require anyone growing or selling cannabis to register and become licensed business owners and farmers.

This legislation we are proposing and asking to be put on the ballot in November will also help our young people to have a future after they've made poor choices. It includes wording that will remove marijuana convictions going back 5 years so that they are now free to start a new life with the tools of Federal Financial Aid for college or tech schools, HUD and other federally supported housing loans, and they are free to join the military without a marijuana conviction on their record preventing that from happening.

Our legislation will bring revenues into the territory, bring those who illegally sell and grow marijuana into becoming legal business people contributing taxes and enjoying the benefits (and self-esteem) of being a legitimate business owner. It will reduce crime, bring groups together to work as co-ops, and inspire people of all ages to use their minds and talents to build and design hemp products and the associated businesses to produce and market them.

The existing agriculture industry will benefit by growing cannabis as a rotational crop that puts back nutrients into the soil - helping to increase the following crop by upwards of 35% increase in yields. The construction trade will be able to grow and produce their own hempcrete which is being used both in the USA and UK to build homes, commercial buildings, and in the UK - affordable housing projects. Two and 1/2 acres of cannabis hemp produces enough hempcrete to build a 1400 sq ft home. And it has been tested and shown to hold carbon in, continues filtering the air that flows through it's walls, is termite and pest resistant, and is mold resistant naturally.

The very least we could expect to see generated from this change of law based only on 4% of our existing tourists purchasing a card giving them the ability to purchase and use cannabis here would bring in approximately $12 million dollars in directed governmental fees - before they purchase a meal, shop in a store, or sleep in a bed. That figure does not include increase in year round tourism, increased business start-ups and supportive businesses to agriculture and industry, increased fees for business licenses issued, business taxes, employment taxes, reduced unemployment, reduced crime, reduced welfare recipients, and reduced money spent housing people on marijuana crimes.

Some Senators are considering/in the process of putting together Medical Marijuana only bills with maybe a little decriminalization thrown in. Unfortunately, that will make those people who use for non-medical reasons (and many our own Rastafarian citizens) subject to DEA hunts. The DEA has been mandated to stay away from people who use Medical Marijuana in accordance with a State/Territory's laws. There are many, many people who will not lie and say they are sick, seeking doctor recommendation for this plant that grows freely and has been used for spiritual and healing for centuries. THESE people would become targets of the Federal Government.

Putting together a medical only bill does not bring benefit to the Territory except for allowing people to use it compassionately. States that have passed medical mj laws continue to have issues with Law Enforcement trying to figure out who is using/growing medically and who isn't. It also doesn't do anything for the economy of the Territory now or in the future.

We are all sick and tired of the corruption, the crime, the killings that we see and hear about on a near daily basis. The ONLY way change will happen is when GOOD PEOPLE, CONSERVATIVE PEOPLE stand up for TRUTH and CHANGE.

We don't care who you vote for - but we do care that YOUR VOICE IS HEARD. And the only true way for that to happen is to get this legislation put on the ballot in November and vote either FOR or AGAINST it.

If you aren't registered to vote - REGISTER TO VOTE and then join us Tuesday, APRIL 20th at EMANCIPATION GARDENS to sign the petitions from 11:30AM until 6:00PM. We will have information showing the truth about this plant and our proposed legislation for all and a limited number of T-shirts for those registered voters who sign the petition.

Linda Adler
Executive Director, USVI NORML
340-244-9179
www.usvinorml.org