The Making of America's Paradise

Our overall mission

2011-06-26T13:23:00.000-04:00

The US Virgin Islands. St. Thomas on a cruise ship. St. John for the beaches. St. Croix for the relaxed atmosphere and beautiful surroundings. Sounds good? It is! It will be even better once we totally remove the legal and social repercussions of possessing and using marijuana in the Virgin Islands. USVI NORML, the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, is leading the charge to bring legalization of Cannabis Hemp to the Virgin Islands.

We have planned educational forums around three of our islands to bring the truth about marijuana to the general public, the medical community, law enforcement, and the legislative body. Legalization will not only reduce crime in the Territory, it will allow those using this plant for religious and medical reasons to do so without fear of repercussions. And legalization will bring the opportunity for new industries and business opportunities for all of our citizens that wish to pursue them.

We've had great response from the people. We have done talk radio shows with positive outcome. We continue to get the word out that there is an organized movement to change the laws. However, we need financial support from everyone. The beauty of changing the laws here is that it will affect visitors from all over the world to the Territory.

Look for the open meetings to be announced soon. Learn about and give input to our legalization efforts here. Learn more about the proposed legislation we have drafted. We will be educating people to the truth and benefits of this plant - the religious use, the medical use, the difference between hemp and cannabis, and the financial benefits to individuals and the Territory. We welcome everyone to come and bring questions and concerns. True understanding for everyone only can be reached by discussing our beliefs and the facts that support those beliefs.

Your support is needed to succeed in bringing about this change. Email usvinorml1@gmail.com or check back here soon to print a membership form. Complete it and mail it in with a check or money order payable to USVI NORML. Our address is PO Box 535, St. Thomas, VI 00804. As a NORML Chapter we have filed as a 501(c)(4) non profit organization.

Join the effort to make America's Paradise truly paradise!

Linda Adler
Executive Director, USVI NORML
340-244-9179

US VIRGIN ISLANDS EDUCATIONAL SUMMIT

2011-03-17T01:25:00.000-04:00

2011-03-15T22:59:00.000-04:00

US Virgin Islands

Educatonal Summit on

Self-Empowerment

and Cannabis Hemp

April 19-21, 2011

Greetings,

In an effort to strengthen the business climate of the Virgin Islands, USVI NORML, a local NPO, will be hosting the US Virgin Islands Educational Summit on Self-Empowerment and Cannabis Hemp. This educational summit is designed to teach people who have a desire to start their own business but are unsure of how to navigate through the process and to educate people in the benefits of Cannabis Hemp, and more specifically to the Territory. The following are some of the sessions we will be offering:

Daily Sessions to include:

Overcoming your fears and realizing your abilities and talents

How to replace complacency with the desire and action for achieving more

ABC’s of starting a business in the US Virgin Islands

Incorporating vs. sole proprietorship or partnership

Writing your business plan

Applying for business loans/funding – local banks, grants, seed money

Applying for Federal funds through USVI agencies

EDC options for local business owners (benefits, challenges, requirements)

Handling apprehensions and challenges in starting your own business venture

Business Think Tank™ Sessions with directed follow-through

Proposed topics for discussion:

Creative ideas for building/improving new and existing businesses
Discovering what local business owners need to succeed
Improving the climate for local businesses
Identifying and overcoming challenges for local business owners
Options to avoid changes in gross receipts, other business taxes and hotel taxes; their effects on business and tourism, etc. now and in the future
What can be done to restore and ensure future contractual raises and avoid workforce reductions

Honest discussions and viable options for crime reduction, improving the state of the Territory – financially, culturally, personally - and empowering our residents (especially our youth) to become active and purposeful in the direction of their future.

Open conversations on how we, the people of the Virgin Islands, can effect change to policies, directives, local economy, and the future stability of the Territory

Meet with Senators and other government officials (schedules permitting)

Music will provided daily with special live performances on 4.20 – including internationally renowned comedian Jeffrey Peterson from Los Angeles, California

Sessions and instruction also include the following topics:

Solar applications in business, agriculture, and private homes
Additional green technologies (such as wind power, bio fuel production, etc.) and the ecological benefits of these and Cannabis Hemp use throughout the world
Hempcrete, it’s applications in the United States and around the world and the benefit it offers the Territory
Building with Hempcrete training sessions (min. enrollment and course fee required)
Hemp in manufacturing – bio fuels, hemp composites, and the many other uses
Use as a rotational crop, agricultural benefits in the cultivation of Hemp
Examples/displays of products and applications made & marketed world-wide from Cannabis Hemp
Medical and health benefits/applications for Cannabis Hemp, including the VA’s stand on Cannabis use as a medical treatment option
Patent #6630507 issued in 2001 and assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services claiming some of the medical benefits of the Cannabis Hemp plant
Benefits of legalization/de-scheduling of Cannabis Hemp
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition speakers on legalization of Cannabis
Benefits to eliminating the criminalization of Cannabis, including litigation, court and incarceration costs; realizing opportunities that are lost to those convicted of Cannabis crimes; encouraging and offering business and creative opportunities for all, including those involved in the (currently) illegal aspects of Cannabis; improving the financial and tourism future of the Territory
Supportive business opportunities to Cannabis Hemp cultivation and marketing/exportation to the US mainland corporations and the potential financial impact to the Territory

Your assistance in bringing this Educational Summit to the people of the US Virgin Islands is needed. Event and/or booth sponsorships, financial assistance, in-kind donations, or teaching sessions are a sampling of welcomed means of support. Anonymous donations accepted. We look forward to any amount of support you are able to provide.

Enclosed you will find our Sponsorship Information Package, as well as the outline of sessions and a USVI NORML membership form. We have extended our deadline for sponsorships to April 5, 2011.

We hope you will join us in furthering the knowledge-base and opportunities for the people of the US Virgin Islands. By expanding our business spectrum and empowering citizens to self-sufficiency we do our part to ensure the financial and environmental viability of the Territory.

Best regards,

Linda Adler, Executive Director, USVI NORML

340-244-9179

2011-03-03T22:38:00.000-04:00

US Virgin Islands Educational Summit on Self-Empowerment and Cannabis Hemp

2011-02-10T16:47:00.000-04:00

Request for Coverage
Media Contact: USVI NORML Executive Director, Linda Adler

340-244-9179

usvinorml1@gmail.com

MEDIA ADVISORY * MEDIA ADVISORY * MEDIA ADVISORY

PRESS CONFERENCE FOR 1st USVI CANNABIS HEMP EDUCATIONAL SUMMIT TO BE HELD AT ISW STUDIOS ON
JANUARY 31

WHAT: Press Conference to announce the first ever USVI Cannabis Hemp Educational Summit to raise awareness for Cannabis Hemp and its many uses. During April 2011, residents of the USVI will have the opportunity to learn about the economic and environmental benefits of Cannabis Hemp and give meaningful consideration to its DeScheduling as a controlled substance. The press conference will feature statements of support by politicians and celebrities, announcement of the partnership between The Brookturn Co., a production company based in Los Angeles, California, USVI NORML as their local NGO partner and ISW Studios on St. Thomas as their exclusive co-production partner for the multi-city celebrity World Premiere of Jack Herer’s Emperor Wears No Clothes feature length documentary (http://www.JackHerer.com) on 4.20.2011, and Q&A with attending media.

WHO: US Filmmaker & CEO of The Brookturn Co, Melissa Balin, and USVI NORML Executive Director, Linda Adler, will show exclusive clips from the California November election press conference Balin moderated with Melissa Etheridge, Danny Glover, Hal Sparks, and 2012 Republican Presidential hopeful, Former Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson, Sarah Lovering of the Marijuana Policy Project; and Former Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Stephen Downing of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) (http://www.wireimage.com/ItemListings.aspx?igi=460537&nbc1=17&VwMd=i), as well as screening the 30 minute short documentary that qualified for 2010 Academy Award Consideration, also titled, Jack Herer’s Emperor Wears No Clothes (starring comedian Ralphie May, NCIS actress Pauley Perrette, Beastie Boys’ keyboardist Money Mark, actor Scott Levy, Bruce “King of Pot” Perlowin of MSNBC’s Marijuana Inc., US Federal prisoner Reverend Eddy Lepp, the animated Henry Hemp, Green House Seed Co.’s Arjan “King of Cannabis” Roskam recently seen on National Geographic, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony producer DJ Dre Ghost, Ed “NJWeedman” Forchion of How Weed Won The West, and the late Jack Herer) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NagA5sXh3N4)

WHEN: Monday, January 31, 2011, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

WHERE: ISW Studios, 171 Altona, Suite 200, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

MORE: The Press Conference will be streamed to all international media outlets as to promote the USVI as an exciting vacation destination for our environmentally conscious celebrity ambassadors. Following the Press Conference we will be scheduling private meetings with the appropriate Executive and Legislative Officials for the US Virgin Islands, as well as Commissioners from the Departments of Tourism, Agriculture, Health & Human Services, Labor, Education, Economic Development, Planning and Natural Resources, and Law Enforcement.

# # # # # #

2011-02-07T03:47:00.000-04:00

2009-09-01T23:57:00.000-04:00

The US Virgin Islands. St. Thomas on a cruise ship. St. John for the beaches. Sounds good? It is! It will be even better once we totally remove the legal and social repercussions of possessing and using marijuana in the USVI. We have started our NORML chapter in the USVI - USVI NORML. You can visit our website at www.usvinorml.org.

One of our esteemed Senators has joined LEAP and is working with us to change the laws regarding marijuana. We have planned educational forums around the 3 islands to bring the truth about marijuana to the general public, the medical community, and the legislative body. We are developing a program for school aged children to address the truths about marijuana, it's use and benefits, the law and the consequences of breaking the law.

We've had great responses from the people. We have done 3 talk radio shows with only 1 negative caller. We continue to get the word out that there is an organized movement to change the laws. However, we need financial support from everyone. The beauty of changing the laws here is that it will affect visitors from all over the world to the Territory.

Your support is needed. Please visit our website, print off a membership registration form and mail it in with a check or money order payable to USVI NORML. Our address is PO Box 535, St. Thomas, VI 00804. As a NORML Chapter we have filed as a 501(c)(4) non profit organization.

Join the effort to make America's Paradise truly paradise!

We would love to have LEAP visit the VI!

Linda Adler
Executive Director, USVI NORML