Cannabis advocates waited almost two years for the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs to make a final decision on WHO’s recommendation to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
It seems it was worth a wait, as the United Nations said yes to the recommendation in the historic vote in Vienna on Wednesday, according to Marijuana Business Daily.
Only 53 current member states of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted, but the decision acts upon all signatories of the international drug conventions.
Although it didn’t have a vast majority with 27 votes for, 1 abstention, and 25 votes against, the recommendation was finally approved.
The remaining five related recommendations, such as 5.2 that asks to move THC from the 1971 convention to the 1961 treaty, for example, were all rejected.
What Does This Mean?
Cannabis experts agree that the effects of the decision could be substantial, impacting the entire cannabis industry on a global level.
While most of them projected positive outcomes in case of approval, Grace Kaucic, Senior Communications Manager for Bluebird Botanicals said that “a vote might lead to more clarity, but it could also lead to more restrictive national frameworks.”
More optimistic views see it as a possibility of enhancing medical cannabis legalization…
