(CNN)— 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.”
“This is welcome news for the millions of people who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes and reflects the reality of the growing market for cannabis-based medicinal products,” a group of drug policy advocacy organizations said in a news release.
Wednesday’s vote means that cannabis and cannabis resin are no longer classified as among the most harmful substances and are acknowledged as having medical benefits. But they’ll still be subject to restrictions under the Schedule I category.
“We welcome the long overdue recognition that cannabis is a medicine,” Ann Fordham, executive…
