Politics
UN Removes Cannabis From Controlled Substance List
By Samantha Lewis
The United Nations Commission on Narcotics and Drugs removed cannabis from its list of the world's most dangerous drugs on Wednesday. Cannabis and cannabis resin are used in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, according to the report.
The vote on item 5-1 was not close, and the reclassification could lead to wider acceptance of medical cannabis and open the door to further scientific research. The vote follows the World Health Organization's January 2019 vote, which called for the reclassification of cannabis among other things.
US Representative Ethan Glick said: "This measure has the potential to stimulate research into the effects of cannabis on human health and health care and to attract additional researchers on the ground, including those who may have been deterred by Schedule IV status”. Earlier this year, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a staunch advocate of the reclassification, said it was time to update more than century-old drug policies.
“We have to recognize that this convention was conceived 50 or 60 years ago and we have to act as a state party that has to deal with it, "Jonckheere said.