World Health Organization Recommends Removal of Cannabis from Drug Treaties

On Feb. 1, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) took a historic step toward the international reform of regulations regarding cannabis.

WHO published a letter in which is recommends that cannabis and cannabis resin no longer be considered controlled substances in international treaties. Specifically, WHO asked that cannabis and cannabis resin be removed from the highest restriction, Schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. In the U.S., the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies cannabis under Schedule I.

The recommendation also includes removing current controls from dronabinol, the active ingredient in Marinol capsules, and from CBD preparations that contain 0.2 percent or less of THC.

“We are extremely pleased that the World Health Organization has finally recognized the therapeutic potential of cannabis and its derivatives as a safe and effective medicine,” said Steph Sherer, president and founder of the patients’ group Americans for Safe Access. “It is time our government stepped up to provide relief for patients that have been suffering for years throughout the U.S.”