{"id":5820,"date":"2016-04-06T20:53:15","date_gmt":"2016-04-06T20:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.420magazine.com\/?p=4641"},"modified":"2016-04-06T20:53:15","modified_gmt":"2016-04-06T20:53:15","slug":"virgin-island-senate-passes-hemp-bill-now-must-face-governor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/virgin-island-senate-passes-hemp-bill-now-must-face-governor\/","title":{"rendered":"Virgin Island Senate Passes Hemp Bill, Now Must Face Governor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/virgin-island-senate-passes-hemp-bill-now-must-face-governor\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><p>Senator Positive Nelson\u2019s hemp bill, which was indefinitely tabled in the Committee on Rules and Judiciary in February, was given a different number and a new lease of life \u2014 along with some restrictions \u2014 and won the support of most senators at Wednesday\u2019s session at the Earl B. Ottley Legislative Hall. Above, Mr. Nelson in Colorado visiting a medicinal marijuana cultivation garden in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>The bill, now No. 31-0330, was supported by senators Marvin Blyden, Myron Jackson, Clifford Graham, Tregenza Roack, Jean Forde, Kurt Vialet, Neville James, Almando \u201cRocky\u201d Liburd, Mr. Nelson and Sammuel Sanes. Senators Nereida Rivera-O\u2019Reilly, Janet Millin Young, Novelle Francis, Justin Harrigan, Sr. and Kenneth Gittens opposed the measure.<\/p>\n<p>Dissenters argued that the bill needed to be vetted as changes were made. But those in favor argued that the hemp industry bill had been heard on numerous occasions, and the latest version is merely an authoriztion that allows the University of the Virgin Islands to conduct research to determine the viability of establishing a hemp industry in the territory. The new version also states that the other sections of the bill must wait for the U.S. Congress\u2019 approval before any action can be taken.<\/p>\n<p>Mrs. Millin Young, who chairs the Committee on Economic Development, Agriculture &amp; Planning, would not relent in her opposition. \u201cIf there are different things to be discussed [about the new hemp bill], it should be discussed in the committee of jurisdiction,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m really big on process, I don\u2019t pick on people because of who they are. I believe that I\u2019m consistent in the way that I carry out my business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But senator Myron Jackson, who said he had proposed a similar measure in a prior Legislature, said it was time that the territory move forward, and that the Virgin Islands was lagging behind other Caribbean islands that were quickly moving into the 21st Century.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen are we going to sit on our own bottom? We have the ability to grow a product that is sustainable, and that can expand and diversify our economy,\u201d Mr. Jackson said. \u201cAnd as the world is evolving in different aspects, we too will evolve, but it shouldn\u2019t be to our demise,\u201d he later added.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Nereida Rivera-O\u2019Reilly, who has stringently opposed any measure having to do with marijuana or hemp, said there was no more fight left in her. \u201cThe fire in the belly, the desire to be a trailblazer to bring the house down, to inspire, to move people from one position to another, it\u2019s gone. It\u2019s been gone,\u201d Mrs. Rivera-O\u2019Reilly admitted.<\/p>\n<p>The bill will now face Governor Kenneth Mapp, but with ten senators supporting the measure on Wednesday \u2014 the exact number needed to override a governor\u2019s veto \u2014 Mr. Nelson\u2019s hemp industry bill, though severely restricted, will most likely become law.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/virgin-island-senate-passes-hemp-bill-now-must-face-governor.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4642\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4642\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/virgin-island-senate-passes-hemp-bill-now-must-face-governor.jpg\" alt=\"harvesthemp31 (1)\" width=\"800\" height=\"356\" \/><\/a>News Moderator: Robert Celt <a href=\"http:\/\/www.420magazine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">420 MAGAZINE \u00ae<\/a><br \/>\nFull Article: <a href=\"http:\/\/viconsortium.com\/news-2\/nelsons-hemp-bill-finds-its-way-to-full-senate-and-passes-will-now-face-governor-mapp\/\" target=\"_blank\">Virgin Island Senate Passes Hemp Bill, Now Must Face Governor<\/a><br \/>\nAuthor: Ernice Gilbert<br \/>\nContact: <a href=\"http:\/\/viconsortium.com\/contact-us-2\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Virgin Islands Consortium<\/a><br \/>\nPhoto Credit: Rose Grant<br \/>\nWebsite: <a href=\"http:\/\/viconsortium.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Virgin Islands Consortium<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senator Positive Nelson\u2019s hemp bill, which was indefinitely tabled in the Committee on Rules and Judiciary in February, was given&#8230; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.420magazine.com\/2016\/04\/virgin-island-senate-passes-hemp-bill-now-must-face-governor\/\" class=\"read-more\">[Read More]<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1607,9,1,3],"tags":[4175],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5820"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5820\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}