The
United Nations’ Commission for Narcotic Drugs voted to remove medicinal
cannabis from a category of dangerous drugs,
The New York Times reports.
The commission, which is made up of 53 member states, removed
marijuana from the list of Schedule IV narcotics, as classified by the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (the Schedule IV category mostly included opioids, such as heroin and various kinds of fentanyl). Additionally, the commission rejected a proposal to include THC in the 1961 convention, which could have led to stricter marijuana laws.
While the UN’s decision has no impact on individual countries’ marijuana laws, it could make it easier to conduct medical marijuana research. Additionally, the symbolic nature of the move could prompt some countries to loosen their medical marijuana restrictions.