Upon returning from his trip to the United Kingdom last week, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley reported progress toward his administration’s goal of legalising medical marijuana. However, two related laws …
Five bills await governor’s assent
Five bills passed by the House of Assembly over the past five years still await the governor’s assent, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said on May 26 in response to …
Leaders keep pushing for sustainability bill
About 98 percent of produce stocked on shelves at Virgin Islands stores comes from outside the territory, but government leaders hope to address longstanding challenges for the farming and fishing …
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Premier presents $397m budget
Following another year of economic struggles amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Premier Andrew Fahie promised a brighter 2022 during his budget address on Nov. 11. Government, he said, hopes to tap …
Speaker calls out governor on pending bills
Speaker of the House Julian Willock started last week’s House of Assembly sitting by levelling criticism at the Governor’s Office for not yet assenting to bills already approved by legislators. …
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Governor explains delays on pot laws
After facing criticism for delaying assent to two bills that would decriminalise and legalise medical marijuana, Governor Gus Jaspert said last Thursday that the matter is now in the hands …
Governor tight-lipped on fate of pot bill
Since the House of Assembly passed a medical marijuana bill in late June, Governor Gus Jaspert hasn’t assented to it, and he dodged questions on the topic last Thursday during …
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HOA passes bill to expunge pot crimes
A companion bill to the Cannabis Licensing Act, 2020 that would expunge the records of some people convicted for carrying small amounts of marijuana received the stamp of approval from …
EDITORIAL: Legalise it. Then regulate it, and choose partners wisely.
As we have stated before, we support the House of Assembly’s recent decisions to legalise gambling and medical marijuana in the territory. However, we caution that both sectors should be …
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House green-lights medical marijuana
After hours of public debate followed by similarly lengthy closed-door deliberations, the House of Assembly passed a bill on Tuesday that would legalise the production and use of medical marijuana …
Government mulls bill to legalise marijuana
Companion bills designed to legalise medicinal marijuana and expunge criminal records of those charged with carrying small amounts of the drug were introduced for a first reading on June 19 …
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Opposition promises to hold government accountable
After losing former opposition member Alvera Maduro-Caines to the Virgin Islands Party and seeing the resignation of Recovery and Development Agency CEO Paul Bayly this month, opposition members acknowledged last …
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EDITORIAL: Medical pot could be a boon, but it needs to be done right
The government’s plan to establish a medical marijuana industry in the Virgin Islands could be a sound idea, and we applaud the new administration for its decision to move forward …
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