RECOMMENDING CANNABIS IN US VIRGIN ISLANDS

A "medical practitioner" defined as: Medical Doctor Osteopath, Naturopath, Homeopath, Chiropractor, Physician's Assistant, or Nurse Practitioner; may prescribe medical cannabis in the US Virgin Islands. Practitioners must be in good standing, and a license to practice medicine issued by the U.S. Virgin Islands. Practitioners must have a bona fide practitioner-patient relationship, the practitioner must have consulted with the patient with respect to the patient’s debilitating medical condition, and the practitioner must be available or offer to provide follow-up care and treatment to the patient, including, but not limited to, patient examinations.

Qualifying Medical Conditions:

  • Cancer
  • Glaucoma
  • Positive status for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
  • Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
  • Hepatitis C
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Huntington’s Disease
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Hospice care arthritis
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic pain
  • Neuropathic pain
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Seizures
  • Wasting syndrome
  • Severe debilitating pain
  • Severe nausea
  • Severe and persistent muscle spasms
  • Any condition for which a practitioner would prescribe an opiate for pain or
  • Any other conditions as certified in writing by a practitioner that, in the professional opinion of the practitioner, the potential benefits of the medical use of cannabis would likely outweigh the health risks for the Qualifying Patient.

Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the First Amendment. Established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that found doctors and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options.

More resources for medical professionals can be found here.