On December 2nd, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) carried out the long-awaited vote to reschedule cannabis and cannabis-related substances under the UN Drug Treaties.
As mentioned in our previous blog post, the WHO made eight recommendations for the CND to vote on. By a slim majority vote, the CND approved the WHO’s recommendation to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention. Twenty-seven member states voted for the recommendation, one abstained, and 25 voted against it. After 59 years, cannabis has been removed from the strictest control schedule. All other WHO recommendations were rejected.
The actual passage of this recommendation carries symbolic significance for medical cannabis, as it could help boost medical cannabis legalization efforts around the globe. Further, the CND’s admission of medical benefits of cannabis can have far-reaching implications for future research and development.
