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WHO Recommends Declassifying Cannabis

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he World Health Organization (WHO) will be proposing a change in cannabis classification on an international treaty, reflecting the growing body of knowledge about the medical uses of the plant, as well as a growing international change of opinion about its misconceptions.

The United Nation’s Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is an international treaty that limits access to certain substances with the exception of scientific research. Cannabis was previously filed under Schedule IV, the most restrictive category.

Now, a letter between the WHO’s Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres states that health experts recommend that cannabis be removed from its Schedule IV placement, and THC removed from its classification in a 1971 drug treaty, and instead, both be placed in Schedule I of the 1961 treaty, a less restrictive category.

An announcement on the WHO’s recommendations regarding cannabis was expected in December, but was postponed for unknown reasons. The proposal for the treat changes will go before the UN’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs as early as this March.

“The placement of cannabis in the 1961 treaty, in the absence of scientific evidence, was a terrible injustice,” said Michael Krawitz, a U.S. Air Force veteran and legalization advocate who spoke on the document’s release. “Today the World Health Organization has gone a long way towards setting the record straight. It is time for us all to support the World Health Organization’s recommendations and ensure politics don’t trump science.”

The recommendations would formally recognize cannabis’ misunderstood therapeutic benefits and bring further support for those looking to legalize cannabis for medical use. However, legalization for recreational use could still violate international conventions.

In response, the European Union has already passed a resolution asking for states to address legalizing cannabis for medical use. The WHO also wants to clarify that the body considers cannabidiol and CBD-containing preparations containing 0.2 percent THC or less  not under international control of the treaty.

 

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