Reports shows marijuana classification based on politics, not science

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The revelation doesn’t come as a shock to anyone in the cannabis community

According to a report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP), a group comprised of 14 former heads of states from different countries, marijuana and other illicit drugs are classified as hazardous because of politics, not because of any scientific foundation. This isn’t a surprise to virtually everyone in the cannabis industry, given the history of cannabis use in societies dating back thousands of years. It shows how governments can be swayed to issue laws that are not always based on accurate data.

Until the early half of the last century, hemp and cannabis were not considered evil. In fact, hemp was regularly used in clothing, paper and other products, particularly during World War I and II. However, after the US government decided it was bad, the entire industry came to a virtual standstill. The new report asserts that the position marijuana has been incorrect, and that it should be rescheduled based on scientific analysis of the harm that it may cause, not on any political belief.

The GCDP includes former leaders of countries such as Portugal, Switzerland, Mexico, Colombia, New Zealand and others, and asserts that the current classification system is “biased and inconsistent.” They add that there has been a “deep-lying imbalance” between controlling substances and allowing access to those same substances for medicinal purposes, and that this imbalance has led to “collateral damage,” such as lack of essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries.

Ruth Dreifuss, the former president of Switzerland and current chair of the GCDP, cause the classification system “rotten” and is pushing for its “critical review.” Colombia’s former president, Juan Manuel Santos, adds, “It was a political decision. According to the studies we’ve seen over past years, substances like cannabis are less harmful than alcohol.”

Anand Grover, a former special UN secretary on health issues for countries such as India, asserts, “We need to think of these things with a fresh outlook. We can’t go with the cultural biases of the west.”