United Nations says medicinal herb is a less dangerous drug

A United Nations commission voted to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug, recognizing the plant’s medical value and paving the way for greater therapeutic use of the drug internationally.

The 27-25 vote of the Vienna-based UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs was based on the 2019 recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), which provides technical expertise on medicines to the UN. The decision removes cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, where it was listed alongside drugs such as heroin as having little or no medical or therapeutic value.

However, the vote does not remove cannabis or related products from the list of drugs that require strict international controls.

The United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom were among the countries that voted to approve the measure; countries like Russia, China, Brazil and Japan voted against. Morocco was the only nation in the Middle East and North Africa region to support reclassification.

The 1961 convention was established to strengthen international cooperation to end drug abuse through two methods of intervention. The former restricts the use, possession, sale and distribution of drugs for the purposes of science or medicine, while the latter sees collaboration to intercept and demoralize drug traffickers.

The UN system for classifying controlled drugs lists 250 substances in four “lists” or categories, according to their health risks, dangers, addiction, and medical value. Schedule IV, which is what cannabis has been listed for for decades, is reserved for the most dangerous substances that have “extremely limited medical or therapeutic value.”

European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction

Now, however, with this vote reclassifying cannabis as less dangerous, the UN commission “has opened the door to recognize the medicinal and therapeutic potential of the commonly used but still largely illegal recreational drug” at the international level, the UN said in a news article on the vote.

A press release from an international group of drug policy organizations welcomed the changes, which they say will give the international community more incentives to invest in cannabis-based medicines.

“This is good news for the millions of people who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes and reflects the reality of the growing market for cannabis-based medicinal products,” the statement said.

However, advocates also said the changes don’t go far enough because cannabis will remain on Schedule I along with more serious drugs like heroin and cocaine. This despite the WHO’s conclusion that cannabis was not as harmful as other drugs included in the same program.

Cannabis and its derivatives are still subject to strict international controls, and the commission’s vote against four other cannabis-related measures, including one to remove cannabis extracts and tinctures from the list of substances most prone to abuse , shows that broader international legalization is still required. a long way to go.

But the trend is moving in that direction, and this latest vote certainly helps.

The movement to legalize medical marijuana is catching on

Mladen Antonov / AFP via Getty Images

Although proponents have much work to do to improve international access to medical marijuana, recent developments suggest that the movement is gaining traction.

In January, Uganda’s Ministry of Health issued guidelines for the cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes, aligning the country with other African nations, including Zambia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, which are easing restrictions on the cultivation of medical marijuana.

Earlier this year, Thailand, which has severe drug penalties, became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize the use of medical marijuana for patients. And in late November, the Thai government announced plans to allow the use of cannabis, minus its most addictive elements, such as flowers, in cosmetics and cooking.

On November 26, the Mexican Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing marijuana, and Canada legalized marijuana in 2018. The United States has not legalized marijuana at the federal level, but four more states voted to legalize it in the 2020 elections, with bringing the total to 15.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to take on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Elimination Act (MORE), which will be the first time any house of Congress has considered the federal decriminalization of marijuana. If passed, the bill, sponsored by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, will also eliminate marijuana convictions, which have long disproportionately plagued communities of color.