The UN decides to hold off on voting on cannabis rescheduling

621 0

A meeting scheduled for this week won’t discuss marijuana schedules as originally planned

The cannabis image is changing not only in the US, but across the world, as well, which has led international regulators such as the UN’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs (UN-CND) to reconsider cannabis status quo, particularly with cannabidiol (CBD) products. A very important international vote is still pending and, even though it was supposed to be taken care of in the upcoming 63rd session of the UN-CND, the decision has been made to postpone the ballot. This decision was made while informal negotiations were held in Vienna before this week’s session, and it would have given the government clear guidance on how to proceed regarding regulations for hemp-based products and plant-derived extracts.

The vote was supposed to decide whether the UN-CND would consider the World Health Organization’s recommendations to remove cannabis preparations with less than 0.2% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from the international narcotics control regime. It seems to be this topic was caught in a broader discussion regarding rescheduling cannabis in general, so the decision was reached to hold off on the vote. Unfortunately, this matter will need to wait now until the body’s next session on December 3-4, 2020, in Vienna.

Even though the vote was delayed, it doesn’t mean the cannabis topic will be abandoned, and this upcoming session will have at least two presentations to discuss the issues surrounding CBD. The Community Alliances for a Drug-Free Youth will present the “Challenges Posed by CBD Products Manufactured for Widespread Public Consumption” tomorrow Tuesday. On Wednesday the Foundation for Latin-American Reform and the Stitching International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service will be presenting “Political Consequences of thinking ‘Medical Cannabis’ vs ‘Therapeutic use of Cannabinoids.”