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 Virgin Island Greens call for end of criminalization of marijuana
The Green Party Of The United States
Virgin Islands
http://www.votegreen.vi
Contact:
Guillaume Mimoun
Chairman, GP USVI
340-626-2102
guillaume.mimoun@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2013
The Green Party of the US Virgin Islands has worked diligently for the last 3 years advocating for the full legalization and end to prohibition of Cannabis in the Virgin Islands. Decades of a failed prohibition on marijuana have resulted in exorbitant costs for prosecution and incarceration, targeting disproportionately, the youth and people of color. The criminalization of marijuana is driving massive increases in violent crime and does nothing to decrease access to our youth.
The VI Green Party especially opposes the bi partisan war waged against medical marijuana. Cannabis has been proven an effective yet safe treatment for pain management of cancer, glaucoma, and other diseases. With limited access to federally funded health care programs, VI citizens should be given access to medical marijuana as a safe treatment modality.
We advocate for the legalization, regulation and taxation of marijuana as the alternative to failed drug policies. We call for a redirection of the funding used for prohibition to be utilized for community services and youth programs. Regulation and taxation will allow the VI Government to realize significant tax revenue and foster new job creation and business opportunities. The US Virgin Islands can seize this opportunity to be the first Caribbean island to end prohibition and thereby capture this new waiting lucrative tourism market.
The Green Party strongly urges the Governor of the Virgin Islands and the 30th Legislature to work together in a spirit of bipartisan unity, and move quickly and resolutely to end the prohibition of Cannabis and move our territory forward in a sustainable and economically sound manner.
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