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As cannabis becomes more widely accepted, the United Nations has removed the drug from its list of most dangerous substances.
Reports state the change means cannabis and cannabis resin are now acknowledged as having medicinal benefits. CNN explains:
“A United Nations commission has voted to remove cannabis from a list that categorized it as one of the most dangerous drugs — a move that recognizes the plant as having medicinal value. The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs approved a recommendation from the World Health Organization on Wednesday to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from its Schedule IV classification under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. That designation put cannabis and one of its derivatives in a category alongside heroin and other opioids. Substances classified as Schedule IV are a subset of Schedule I drugs. That means not only are they considered to be ‘highly addictive and highly liable for abuse,’ they’re also labeled as ‘particularly harmful and of extremely limited medical or therapeutic value.'”
“We welcome the long overdue recognition that cannabis is a medicine,” Ann Fordham, executive director of the International Drug Policy Consortium, said in a statement, according to CNN. “However, this reform alone is far from adequate given that cannabis remains incorrectly scheduled at the international level.”
“The commission voted 27-25 to reschedule cannabis and cannabis resin. The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and South Africa were among those who voted in favor, while countries including Brazil, China, Russia and Pakistan voted against,” CNN adds.
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