Hemp Industry Bill Overcomes First Hurdle, Heads To Rules Committee

ST. THOMAS — The Virgin Islands is one step closer to the formation of a hemp industry on St. Croix as legislation sponsored by Senator Terrence “Positive” Nelson, bill No. 31-0100, cleared its first hurdle by getting the approval of members of the Committee on Economic Development, Agriculture and Planning at a Senate hearing on Thursday at the Earl B. Ottley Legislative Hall.

To bill intends to amend title 7 of Virgin Islands Code, chapter 1, for the cultivation of hemp and other related purposes. Invited testifiers included Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Commissioner nominee Dawn L. Henry, Carlos Robles, commissioner nominee of the Department of Agriculture (DOA), as well as representatives from UVI, the VIPD and an environmental consultant.

Nelson, while introducing the legislation, said hemp has been used for over 10,000 years, and that it has thousands of industrial uses. The senator said the plant has raised some eyebrows in the territory and some of the U.S. states, “but we are in line with some 22 states that have some form of legislation to allow for the cultivation of hemp,” he said.

Robles said while he only had a short time to review the bill, his department is thankful to Sen. Nelson for providing the territory’s farmers with another means whereby they could earn a living.

“The diversification of any business provides some level of stability, especially during hard economic times,” he said.

But Robles expressed some concern with the legislation, remarking that DOA lacks the manpower, lab space and infrastructure to conduct the required testing and monitoring for THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) levels. Robles also highlighted the bill’s omission of environmental impact when cultivating hemp, and that the bill makes no mention of funding sources related to the duties mandated for DOA.  The commissioner nominee added that DOA presently lacks the capacity to enforce the many provisions of the bill.

Henry said after reading through the measure, DPNR’s concerns are few. She said while one of the many benefits of hemp is its ability to thrive under any condition except cold weather, this benefit could turn into a problem if growth spreads uncontrollably to unwanted areas.

In light of the aforementioned, Henry said DPNR’s Division of Fish and Wildlife suggests that farmers be required to have a “controlled method plan” to prevent unwanted spreading,” and that the department stands ready to help in the reviewing of any such plan.

Paul Chakroff, who holds bachelor and masters degrees in environmental science, based his testimony on research he conducted on industrial hemp in 2012 while serving as executive director of the St. Croix Environmental Association.

Chakroff said while hemp remains a low maintenance crop, it requires certain climatic conditions to thrive, and choosing the right locations on St. Croix would be critical for best results. The environmental consultant generally praised the plant, highlighting its many benefits of sustainability and its “green” nature in relation to climate change.

The bill passed the committee with five senators voting in the affirmative. They include Sen. Janet Millin Young, Sen. Tregenza Roach, Sen. Clifford Graham, Sen. Almando “Rocky” Liburd and Sen. Myron Jackson.

Senators Kurt Vialet, Novelle Francis and Sen. Nereida “Nellie” Rivera-O’Reilly left the hearing before a vote was called because of travel commitments.

The hemp industry measure will now head to the Committee of Rules and Judiciary, chaired by Sen. Kenneth  “Kenny” Gittens for ratification before heading to the full Senate body for approval.